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World Battle II veteran and Merryvale Assisted Residing resident Tom Mundy rang in his 99th journey across the solar on Friday with a meal at Crimson Lobster together with his grandson.
An avid enjoyer of Westerns and previous motion pictures, bingo, gospel music, stamp gathering and fried shrimp, Mundy started residing at Merryvale in March 2018. Regardless of residing via the horrors of a world battle, his spirit ceased to dampen with a smile and lighthearted nature identified by those that dwell and work at Merryvale.
Martha Bishop, actions assistant on the assisted residing facility, shared how Mundy’s character makes him distinctive.
“His great outlook on life,” Bishop mentioned. “He’s simply at all times laughing and joking and I’ve by no means heard him complain about something. If he does, it’s within the type of a joke. He at all times retains us laughing and he’s a really caring particular person. When somebody passes away, he’s the primary one to be at their funeral.”
“To know the historical past that he’s been via at such a younger age and the issues that he’s seen as a younger man and are available proper again right here and do enterprise and go proper again to work as if nothing occurred to me is at all times exceptional.”
Mundy was born on Oct. 13, 1924 in Birmingham, Alabama. His household moved to Valdosta, Georgia, the place he attended highschool and located an curiosity in journalism, masking sports activities for his native newspaper.
At 18 years previous, Mundy was drafted into the Military the place he served as a radio operator from March 1943 to December 1945 as the USA battled the Second World Battle.
The bombing of Pearl Harbor in December 1941 was Mundy’s get up name for the subsequent chapter of his life.
“When Pearl Harbor began, I mentioned, ‘Hell. That’s gonna imply we gotta go to battle.’ And I used to be excellent,” Mundy mentioned.
Mundy recalled being put via radio college by the Military as soon as they realized his skill to acknowledge the distinction between a ‘dit’ and a ‘dah,’ as utilized in Morse Code. His first project whereas serving entailed guarding the Atlantic coast whereas stationed within the Charleston space.
When deployed abroad, Mundy recollected using in a 37 mm cannon armored automotive that was “just about a tank” to cross the English Channel to France from England.
As radio operator, Mundy used gear within the automobile to carry out his duties, akin to an equipment clamped on his leg to “talk with the opposite armored automobiles [and the] community headquarters” by way of Morse Code.
Mundy’s outfit was credited with taking part in three battles in Germany: the Battle of the Bulge, the Battle of the Roer River and the Battle of Central Europe.
Nonetheless, Mundy himself was absent from a number of of the battles on account of being hospitalized for sicknesses – frostbite and yellow jaundice – which “saved his life.”
“My mom mentioned, ‘I used to be so glad to listen to that you just had been within the hospital,” Mundy mentioned with a chuckle.
After returning house from the battle, Mundy attended school at Emory College earlier than transferring to Stetson College in DeLand, Florida. He beamed when reflecting on the years he spent learning in Florida.
“I swam loads within the ocean,” Mundy mentioned. “This one fella had his automotive and an entire bunch of us would drive over to Daytona Seaside… I loved that point.”
As soon as he obtained his accounting diploma, Mundy went on to work for Courts & Co., C&S Financial institution in Atlanta and ready taxes for 300 personal purchasers outdoors of his job.
In 1951, Mundy married his first spouse, Elizabeth. They had been married for 47 years and had one son, Dan. He shared the life recommendation he acquired from his father, who was a minister, with a smile.
“My daddy instructed me what to do, after all,” Mundy mentioned. “That’s after I got here again from the battle and all, he mentioned, ‘Discover a small church.’ In fact he meant an Episcopal, be a part of the choir – I stayed in it for 30 years – and get married. I married the Soprano.”
After the passing of his first spouse on account of an sickness, Mundy married his second spouse, Nell, they usually remained married for 15 years.
For Mundy, life in retirement allowed him to develop into immersed within the interest he liked as a young person – writing. He wrote three books, one titled ‘My World Battle II Adventures,’ stuffed with anecdotes and particulars from his years within the service.
Regardless of reaching almost a century of life, Mundy stays vigorous, vibrant and “sharp,” based on Bishop, who shared her ideas on him reaching one other birthday milestone.
“To me that could be a enormous blessing, that he’s this sharp at this age and nonetheless is simply, exuberant, he simply is that sort of particular person,” Bishop mentioned. “He at all times makes folks snort and smile round him.”
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