103-Year-Old World War II Vet's Advice for Young People: Focus on God and Family
A 103-year-old World War II veteran has some unique advice to share with younger generations about their focus in life.
Sam Avolicino of Danville, California recently shared his life story with Fox News and also gave the outlet some tips on leading a fulfilling life.
He mentioned good food, good wine, and having a wonderful wife after being married to the same woman for 72 years.
But he also offered some deeper advice for young people about remembering to focus on family and faith.
"I recommend all children pick up on God, start to believe in the hereafter, and go to church," he told Fox.
"Pray every night," he added.
"God's been the most important person in my life. Respect your parents and listen to your parents. Don't let outside influences get to you, which is very difficult today," he said.
Avolicino told Fox he was born in Santa Maria, Italy in 1920. He immigrated to the United States with his family through Ellis Island, New York when he was only three months old. He and his mother traveled by train to Oakland where his father and other family members were living. Avolicino grew up in the Bay Area and has lived more than a century there.
During the war, Avolicino volunteered for military service, joining the Army Air Forces. As a physical training instructor, he was stationed at St. Petersburg, FL. He was later transferred to Fresno, CA, then Glendale, CA, and finally Fort Dix before he was told he was being sent overseas.
"I landed in France one day before the war was over," he told Fox News.
"So I got reassigned to special services and my CEO assigned me to the Nuremberg (Nürnberg) Opera House to entertain the troops while we waited to be shipped home," Avolicino recalled.
While at the opera house, he got to work alongside several American entertainers, including Bob Hope, Jack Benny, Mickey Rooney and the Rockettes, who had come to Germany to entertain the troops.
"It was very exciting," Avolicino told Fox. "Bob Hope and those people, they had their entourage and I just stuck around with them. I directed them and showed them where to go and so forth and so on."
He told the outlet he also arranged for the first Christmas mass in the opera house, which took place in 1945 as many of the troops were still waiting to go home.
Avolicino admitted that it was his wife who wrote letters and kept their relationship alive while he was serving in the military. He saved her love letters and still has all of them.
The Avolicinos raised four children, and have six grandchildren and two great-grandchildren, according to Fox News.
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