A World War II veteran and his wife are reflecting on 75 years of marriage.
At a celebration marking his 101st birthday, U.S. Army vet Anthony Simone was already looking forward to his May 6 wedding anniversary to his 96-year-old wife, MaryAnn, whom he married in 1950.
“When I married her my whole life changed,” the South Jersey resident, who turned 101 on April 5, told local outlet WPVI.
“We had a really, really good marriage — 75 years and more, God help us,” MaryAnn described their nearly eight decades as husband and wife.
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While holding MaryAnn’s hand at her bedside during his birthday celebration, Anthony got emotional expressing how he feels about her.
“I love you with all my heart and my soul, and I’ll always love you until the day I die,” he said, while she smiled lovingly.
The Army vet told WPVI that he served in the 1940s, when was involved overseas during the Battle of the Bulge and did guard duty in Munich.
“To tell you the truth, I never really thought of age,” Anthony, who was born in New Jersey in 1924, said at his birthday celebration, where a homemade sign listed his nicknames as Tony, PopPop, Grandpop and Dad.
“That’s what I try to tell people — don’t think of age,” he offered as life advice to viewers of his segment. “Just take your life as it comes along.”
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In 2024, Camden County Commissioner Melinda Kane celebrated Anthony’s 100th birthday by highlighting his “fulfilling” life.
“Anthony is a remarkable person who served his country during one of the most uncertain times in our nation’s history,” Kane said at the time in a press release, which also noted Anthony was a body and fender mechanic after his time in the Army.
“After his service, he has gone on to live a rich, fulfilling life with his family and has reached a milestone that very few people reach: turning 100 years old,” Kane continued. “I am honored to celebrate this momentous occasion with Anthony and his loved ones.”
