Marine Corps veteran Major Bill White may be 104-years-old, but he isn’t ready to slow down yet.
White survived the Battle of Iwo Jima and received a Purple Heart for his bravery but now he’s collecting a different sort of momento – Valentine’s Day cards.
After being sent home following a grenade explosion, White began collecting photographs, letters, and other small items to keep as memories, which he turned into scrapbooks and now keeps in organized binders on his bookshelf. This year, he wants to add to his collection of memories through Valentine’s Day cards sent to him from people across the country and even around the world.
“When I was wounded, I didn’t have any choice in the matter. A grenade blew up about 6 inches from me,” he said. “The fact that I even survived is something. There weren’t too many of us.”
“[Now scrapbooking] keeps me busy. I’m just trying to locate or keep track of what’s happened to me where, when,” White says.
“I’ll save every one of them [the cards] like I’ve been saving little things that have come up until right now, and they’ll be a personal part of my history.”
If you would like to send Major White a Valentine, please address it as follows:
Operation Valentine
ATTN: Hold for Maj Bill White, USMC (Ret)
The Oaks at Inglewood
6725 Inglewood Ave., Stockton, CA
