02-06-2025
Decatur WWII veteran celebrates 102nd birthday
The Brief
Decatur WWII veteran Calvin George Kemp is celebrating his 102nd birthday today.
A "Grady Baby," Kemp returned to Atlanta after serving in the Navy and was a representative of the Black Brick Layers Union in the years before the unions were integrated.
He says that there is no secret to his long life - he's just blessed and stays positive.
DECATUR, Ga. - Family, friends, and churchgoers gathered in Decatur over the weekend to help a World War II veteran celebrate his 102nd birthday.
Calvin George Kemp was born at Atlanta's Grady Memorial Hospital on June 2, 1923, and refers to himself as a "Grady Baby."
What we know
Kemp served in the Navy during World War II, beginning in 1943 and returning to Atlanta in 1946.
"I always got involved," Kemp said. "When my son was in elementary school, he got into the Boy Scouts [of America], and so I became a scoutmaster. And when he was playing ball in Little League, I coached."
Kemp was a brick mason for 25 years and served as a representative of the Black Brick Layers Union in the years before the unions were integrated.
In 1973, he shifted gears and moved to the school system to teach masonry. Throughout his life, he's been actively involved in his church and just recently retired as director of the seniors and retirees program at Saint Philip African Methodist Episcopal Church in Atlanta.
"I've always played bridge," Kemp says. "I have always been athletic and followed sports. I've always loved talking to people, and I love listening to good music-- King Cole, Ella Fitzgerald, and Duke Ellington--but I am not a fan of rap."
What they're saying
He celebrated his 102nd birthday today at Saint Philip with Pastor Anton Elwood, his family and church family.
"There's no secret," he says. "I'm just blessed. I think it helps to be positive and make plans. Let's live for today, look forward to tomorrow, and leave yesterday behind us."
The Source
FOX 5's Eric Perry reported this story ouf of Decatur.
