A suburban veteran who served in World War II and fought in the Battle of the Bulge celebrates a huge milestone this week.
Lionel Rothbard will soon turn 102 years old. Married for more than 60 years, he’s a grandfather and a decorated war hero, and he’s sharing stories from his long and remarkable life.
When asked how he felt about achieving such a milestone, he kept things simple.
“I just feel old,” he said with a smile.
Rothbard said he never thought he would live this long, and has outlived many of his loved ones.
“It’s not easy,” he said.
His wife Phyliss has been with him every step of the way, however. They got married in 1956.
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“He used to go to the lake all the time to go fishing and I kid him now about the fact that it wasn’t fishing, they were looking for girls,” she said.
She said she is excited for his birthday, and plenty of others are excited too. Neighbors around his Glenview apartment told NBC 5 they plan to go to his birthday party.
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Honor Flight, an organization the helps veterans with flights to Washington, D.C. and more, sent him dozens of birthday cards.
“He is a very fine, warm, loving nice man,” said Phyliss.
She said she is proud of him.
“He was the first in his family to go to college here. He was the first to obtain all the things that he did in the military, all self-motivated,” she said.
Those accomplishments line Lionel’s wall, including a Bronze Star and several medals he earned during the war.
He said he entered in the army in 1942 and was in the famed Battle of the Bulge, as well as the invasion of Normandy on D-Day.
“It felt dangerous. You didn’t go to sleep at night real easy,” he said.
He said he was discharged in 1946 but remained in the military for the love of his country.
“We’ve had a good life,” said Phyliss. “And the military was a good part of it.”
Lionel will have two birthday parties and one of them will be at his home. When asked what his secret was to such a long life, he once again opted for simplicity.
“I have a good wife,” said Lionel with a laugh.
