PINELLAS COUNTY, Fla. — Most of us would feel lucky to reach 80, 90, or even 100 years old, but for a Tampa Bay Area WWII veteran, turning 107 is the icing on the cake.
Over the course of a century, Bill Monfort has learned a lot.
"Well, I feel like I did when I was 35, 40, 50," said Monfort.
But as he marks his 107th birthday this weekend, Monfort's biggest takeaway is this.
"Just be good and be good to other people and do good things," said Monfort.
The Tampa Bay Area centenarian has seen so much through the years: surviving a kamikaze attack in the South Pacific, serving in the Navy during WWII, and even overcoming COVID-19.
"There's a lot of people that have asked me were you ever afraid?" said Monfort. "Well, I don't know. Maybe I was, but I just had a job to do, and I did it."
Yet a celebration on Friday afternoon among friends, families, and strangers was all the more special as the community said happy birthday to veterans in a life well-lived.
"I just live from day to day, and right now, I guess I'll be looking toward the 108th," said Monfort.
