Submitted photos | Trinity Community at Fairborn
Friends and family of Charles Moatz gathered together June 21 to celebrate 101 years.
A table was set up displaying Moatz’s memorabilia from his time in the Navy .
Multiple veteran organizations stopped by with well wishes for Moatz.
Charles Moatz enjoyed spending time with friends and loved ones at Trinity Community in Fairborn.
Attendees enjoyed a tasty cake.
FAIRBORN — WWII Navy veteran Charles Moatz celebrated his 101st birthday on June 21, surrounded by friends and family.
Initially from Portsmouth, Ohio, Moatz served in the U.S. Navy from 1943-1946, traveling all over the world before finding himself back in his home state.
“I ended up 230 miles from home,” he said. “I thought that was odd.”
In the Navy, Moatz got to travel to Bermuda, a place he described as the prettiest he’d ever seen. He trained with submarines on the island in preparation for a raid on Japan. Moatz said he enjoyed riding a bike around the island in his spare time, as most islanders didn’t have an automobile at that time.
“We were getting ready to go to Japan, then Truman said ‘Get ready to drop the bomb,’ ” said Moatz, reflecting on his time in Bermuda.
After the war, Moatz stayed in the military a little while longer and was sent to the Philippines. He said that despite the general destruction in the area, most of the buildings that remained standing were the churches.
Moatz was eventually sent home in 1946, where he found a job at Western Electric in Toronto, just miles from where he initially had left several years ago. Later on, Moatz went on to study at The Ohio State University, and eventually moved further south to Beavercreek.
“When I came back from the war, I went to Ohio State. I was doing pretty good,” he said. “My buddy, while I was on spring vacation, he introduced me to my girlfriend. That was the first day of spring. Fourth of July I married her.”
Moatz was with his wife, Freda, for 64 years afterward, raising three daughters in and around the Miami Valley area. Although one of his daughters recently passed, Moatz said he’s been taken care of by the three of them for much of his life at his current senior living facility, the Trinity Community at Fairborn.
Now, in his spare time, Moatz enjoys bingo and happy hour at the home. His children, along with the Fairborn VA, have decorated his room with tools and decorations to make his time pleasant, and he said he feels very appreciative of the community around him.
The secret to a long life, for Moatz, is simple.
“The best doctor’s up there,” he said. “If it’s his will to live long, I will.”
A contributing factor, Moatz admitted, could be his outlook on life. He makes jokes often and enjoys telling stories about the rich history he’s been a part of. He even has a nickname, Gabby, given to him by friends for how much he likes telling his stories.
Moatz was celebrated with a cake donated from the Ele Cake Company. He also received acknowledgement from Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine as well as Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio). The Fairborn VFW also saluted him for his service to the country, and all of Moatz’s family was there to celebrate with him.
Contact Ethan Charles at 937-502-4532.
