40th Infantry Division honors WWII veteran on 105th birthday

Community rallies for Lt. Col. Sam Sachs during socially distant birthday celebration

Retired U.S. Army Lt. Col. and D-Day veteran Sam Sachs watches as a parade drives by his home during a 105th birthday celebration in his honor, April 26, 2020, in Lakewood, Calif. Sachs was an officer with the 325th Glider Infantry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division, and landed his glider on the beaches of Normandy during D-Day.

Story and photos by Staff Sgt. Kimberly Hill
40th Infantry Division Public Affairs

April 26, 2020

LAKEWOOD, Calif. — World War II veteran Sam Sachs watches from the front porch of his home as a Humvee, a sheriff’s patrol car, and fire trucks roll through the usually quiet street. He smiles and waves at both the small parade, as well as the crowd that has gathered outside, made up of cheering friends, neighbors, and well-wishers.

“It’s such a great honor to be in this position, it really is. It’s something I never expected. Who can imagine you’re going to reach this exalted age of 105,” said Sachs.Sachs, a retired Lt. Col., wasn’t certain 76 years ago he would live to see the next day. He is amazed that he survived the beaches of Normandy, and now he has lived to see the age of 105. The birthday has been made even more extraordinary by the outpouring of love and support from his local community.

“He is an amazing guy and when I heard about this celebration, I knew I wanted to participate,” said U.S. Army Sgt. Maj. Ron Cabrera, an information operations sergeant major with the California Army National Guard's 40th Infantry Division

Soldiers with the division helped honor Sachs’ birthday by participating in a parade and social distancing celebration coordinated by city officials, April 26, 2020, in Lakewood.

Over 150 people came out to honor the D-Day veteran. A celebratory parade included a 1940 Packard driven by retired U.S. Army Reserve Command. Sgt. Maj. Robert Crebbs, the singing of the national anthem and Happy Birthday by Spc. Raivyn Hearne, a vocalist from the 40th Infantry Division Band, and a M181 Humvee driven by division soldiers.

Cabrera, an Orange County native, met with Sachs while volunteering through Optimal Hospice Care, based in nearby Long Beach. Normally the Cal Guard member would simply meet with a veteran in their home, but due to COVID-19 restrictions, the pair had to become a bit more creative.

Ivonne Meader, the administrator of Mom and Dad’s House, an assisted living facility that Sachs calls home, helped facilitate the social distance meeting. They spoke over the phone, with Cabrera outside a window of the facility and Sachs on the other side, allowing them to see each other, he said.

“We had a great conversation, he has a great energy and when Ivonne mentioned the event and the desire for a Humvee, we couldn’t pass up the opportunity to help celebrate his 105th birthday,” said Cabrera, who helped coordinate the division’s involvement in the event.

Sachs’ service spanned 32 years, joining the Army and later the reserve component before retiring at the rank of lieutenant colonel. The Grand Forks, North Dakota, native’s distinguished military career included serving with the in the 325th Glider Infantry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division, during World War II, where he landed on the beaches of Normandy in his glider during D-Day.

“I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else today. We’re celebrating the life of a citizen soldier,” said California State Guard Col. Richard Lalor, the public affairs officer for Joint Forces Training Base, Los Alamitos.

Sachs, who received the French Legion of Honor last year, received over 6,200 birthday cards from all around the world, a birthday proclamation from President Donald Trump. Michael Brown, the Mayor of Grand Forks, North Dakota, declared Sachs’ birthday as “Sam Sachs Day” in Grand Forks.

The event took special measures to ensure that Sachs’ birthday was honored, while still maintaining the appropriate and safe social distance. Blue tape marked six feet apart spaces, all attendees wore masks, and Sachs stayed on his front porch, watching the festivities from a distance.

Although it wasn’t the usual birthday party the 105-year-old would have had, Sachs believes that the community coming together to help him celebrate during the COVID-19 crisis makes it even more meaningful, he said.

“I’m considered a fortunate man to be here in this wonderful, beautiful country and the greatest little city in America, Lakewood,” said Sachs.