PINELLAS COUNTY, Fla. — A Tampa Bay Area veteran, who may have been the oldest living World War II veteran in Florida, passed away on Sunday.
Bill Monfort was 108 years old.
ABC Action News shared his story time and again as he reached milestone birthdays, most recently this past December.
WATCH 108-year-old Tampa Bay Area WWII veteran passes away
“I feel fine, like a young fella!” the veteran said a few days ahead of his 108th birthday in December.
“I’m going to remember him more as a good dad,” said William "Bill" Monfort II, the WWII veteran's son.
Bill said his dad was very family-oriented and someone who would help a lot of people.
“It’s never easy. You know it’s going to happen. I mean 108, it’s just a matter of time,” said Bill. “I’m glad I had more time with him than most people do, so I’m grateful for that.”
The Tampa Bay Area veteran served in the Navy during World War II, survived a kamikaze attack, and overcame COVID-19.
His service was something that meant a lot to him.
“He talked about being at Pearl Harbor,” said Bill. “He was offshore when the attack happened, but he was the radio chief on board the ship, so he was the one that received Morse code messages in and out, and so he was the first one to receive the message about Pearl Harbor being under attack.”
Monfort’s birthdays were a highlight for friends and family each December. This year would’ve marked the 109th.
“Every December 17th, it was a big deal for the family,” Bill said. “I’m still going to keep doing it. Still, come here and have everybody get together and do the same thing. I think he’d like that.”
"If there had just been a trooper up there, maybe this whole thing could have been avoided."
A judge in Florida is sharing the story of his son's death in hopes of helping the Florida Highway Patrol trooper shortage.
