Former United States Marine and World War II veteran Carl Spurlin Dekel cried over the current state of his country as he celebrated his 100th birthday on June 29.
The Florida native reflected on his life, saying, “I’ve lived a good life. I’ve had a lot of love, happiness, smiling, telling everybody that everything was beautiful every day.”
Dekel then began to cry.
“People don’t realize what they have. They b**** about it. And then, nowadays, I am so upset because the things we did, the things we fought for, and the boys that died for it, it’s all going down the drain.” Dekel told FOX 13. “Our country is going to hell in a handbasket. We haven’t got the country we had when I was raised, not at all.”
‘STRAIGHT AHEAD MISDIRECTION’: BEZOS RENEWS FEUD WITH BIDEN OVER GAS PRICES
The 100-year-old veteran’s gratitude was mixed with sorrow for the next generation.
“Nobody will have the opportunity I had,” Dekel added. “It’s just not the same. That’s not what our boys, that’s not what they died for.”
Dekel’s centennial birthday comes as the United States faces historic inflation with a recession looming amid reports of the economy shrinking for a second consecutive quarter. A recent poll also shows that nearly 85% of U.S. adults feel the country is headed in the wrong direction.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
When asked about the secret to living to 100 years old, Dekel pointed to the need for acknowledging frustration while focusing on the positive.
“You just remember everything’s beautiful and live every day to the fullest. Just enjoy everything you possibly can,” Dekel said. “And here I sit at 100. They tell me I’m 100. I don’t believe it sometimes. Because I don’t need to worry about age. I’m not going to. I just keep on keeping on.”
