U.S. Marine Carl Spurlin Dekel, who celebrated his 100th birthday last week, said serving his country in WWII was the most important thing he ever did.
The veteran and Silver Star holder said he wouldn’t hesitate to do it again, but regrets that the U.S. has “gone down the drain,” according to Fox News.
“People don’t realize what they have,” Dekel said. “The things we did and the things we fought for and the boys that died for it, it’s all gone down the drain”.
“We haven’t got the country we had when I was raised, not at all,” he continued. “Nobody will have the fun I had. Nobody will have the opportunity I had”.
“t’s just not the same and that’s not what our boys, that’s not what they died for,” Dekel said as he teared up.
After calming down, Dekel said “You just remember, everything’s beautiful. And live every day to the fullest, just enjoy everything you possibly can”.
That same day, the U.S. lost the last surviving Medal of Honor recipient from WWII, Hershel “Woody” Williams.
Williams was 98 years old and died surrounded by his family at a hospital named after him in West Virginia.
Also a U.S. Marine, he received his medal for heroism during the battle of Iwo Jima in 1945 from former President Harry Truman.