GAINESVILLE, Va. — A fitting honor for a World War II veteran who just celebrated his 104th birthday is getting us uplifted.

Dennis Dunlap was a lifelong mechanic so to kick off his big birthday bash, motor squads from the Combat Veteran’s Motor Association and VFW Motor Squad paraded around his retirement community to get the party started.

During the war, Dunlap was an airplane mechanic in Italy as a corporal in the Army Air Corp. Later, he built Pontiac, Buick and Oldsmobile cars for General Motors and worked as a chief engineer, building trains to haul cars, at the Darby Corporation.   

Monday’s party was filled with handshakes, hugs and salutes, and a few words of wisdom.

“Every hello I get just going down the aisle makes me feel good. Everybody should say that,” he said.

The power of a simple ‘hello.’

During his time in the war, Dunlap sent many letters to his late high school sweetheart, Genevieve, and son, Lee. Those letters have been combined with his oral narratives and pictures in a book for family and friends to read, really highlighting the impact of a life well lived!