Local WWII veteran prepares to celebrate 100th birthday

THOMSON, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) - There aren’t many Word War II veterans left to share their stories, but one local veteran is getting ready to celebrate his 100th birthday.

We visited him in Thomson to find out how Mr. Louis Graziano refuses to act his age.

“They can’t have my license,” he said. “I feel good.”

Graziano is almost 100 years old, but he’s not living life any differently.

“Everybody else is trying to make a big deal, but I’m not,” he said.

He fought on D-Day and at the Battle of the Bulge. He’s the only man alive who saw the Germans surrender. Graziano says that was a great day.

“I knew I was gonna get to go home,” he said.

For most of his life, Thomson has been home. He and his wife moved from New York to Augusta in the ‘50s where Graziano would cut hair.

“I had so many customers from Thomson, and they talked me into coming to Thomson and opening a shop, which I did,” he said.

His shop is still there and he still does hair for a few longtime customers. Even though Graziano’s 100th birthday is on Feb. 6, he doesn’t act like it.

“I keep telling them they don’t have to do nothing, but they’re making a big thing out of it,” he said.

Considering the life he’s lived, Graziano’s family and community just want to make sure he knows how much he’s loved.

The Thomson-McDuffie Friends of the Library are hosting a meet and greet on Feb. 4 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. to honor his birthday.

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