Grand Forks celebrates Navy officer’s life, 100th birthday

Published Sept. 9, 2008
By Tech. Sgt. Joseph Kapinos
319th Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs

GRAND FORKS AIR FORCE BASE, N.D. -- 1908. A year which saw the development of Henry Ford's Model T automobile, selling for $850; a stamp being sold for 2 cents; and the World Series being won by the Chicago Cubs. It was also the birth year of Richmond Day, who went on to serve his country in two wars, retiring as Lt. Cmdr in the United States Navy.

One hundred years later, that same man, who grew up seeing man fly in rickety wooden aircraft and later saw spacecraft landing on the moon, was able to celebrate a major milestone in his life with the Warriors of the North at Grand Forks Air Force Base on Sept. 4.

Surrounded by four generations of his family, a daughter, grandson and granddaughter, two great-granddaughters, along with dozens of military well-wishers, the humbled centenarian with a keen wit and a twinkle in his eye talked about his service and all he had seen in his lifetime.

"I came into the military in 1943," said the wizened gentleman. "I served at Pearl Harbor as a freight officer, making sure that everything that was needed for the war effort in the Pacific was where it was supposed to be and going where it need to go.

"I thought it was a great job because I had a real impact on the war, especially since I worked where the horrific attacks had taken place only a couple years earlier," he added solemnly.

After serving in World War II, Lt. Cmdr. Day left the tropical islands and went east to the still sunny, but cooler shores San Francisco, Calif., where he worked as the fleet freight officer in charge of all the freight moving through the Bay Area. He finished his career, still in the freight career field, in Providence, R.I., where he became a life-long New England Patriots fan.

After retiring in 1963, Mr. Day decided to make Tucson, Ariz., his new home, enjoying the hot, dry air along with his wife. He worked several jobs, actually ending up in charge of issuing gate passes at Davis-Monthan AFB, a position he held for eight years.

"I did that job for a while, even after my wife died," he said quietly.

"It's funny, now that I think about it, between my time there and my time here at Grand Forks, I have had almost as much time around Air Force bases as I did around Navy bases," he said laughing, the smile returning to his eyes.

Commander Day came to the Grand Forks region in the mid-1990s to be around his daughter and the rest of his family. He immediately became a regular visitor to the base and especially to the Northern Lights Club, where he took particular interest in the Sunday buffet.

"I have known Mr. Day for a long time now, ever since he started coming to the buffet every Sunday," said Mrs. Ann Sweeny, the operations manager for the club. "I used to work as a waitress back then and remember him coming in all the time. I used to worry if I didn't see him on a Sunday morning drinking his Champaign and orange juice."

Mrs. Sweeny, now working in the management section of the club, was going through records of the club members and discovered the age of Mr. Day and that he was getting close to the 100-year mark. She even tried to reduce his dues, because of the fact that he was not able to come to the club as often as before, something Mr. Day would have no part of.

"He is a very loyal club member and was concerned about me trying to reduce his dues," she said with a smile. "He wanted to do all he could to support the club and the base and he couldn't do that on a reduced price."

It was this loyalty and tenacity that led to the club setting up the celebration for his birthday. He arrived in style to the club that night like a rock star in the back of a black limousine and was greeted by both well-wishers and senior wing leadership, including the 319th Air Refueling Wing commander, Col. John Michel, and vice commander, Col. John Scorsone, as well as group commanders and other wing leaders.

But despite all the attention and praise given to him by the wing leadership, it was the simple handshake and hello from the Airmen that had the most profound impact on the former Navy officer.

As the single candle was blown out and the cake was cut into pieces, it was easy to see around the room that people knew they were in the presence of a true American patriot, even down to the hats from his favorite football team proclaiming it. It was a real opportunity to give the wing a chance to honor not only a birthday, but a veteran who is among the Greatest Generation of our country.

It was not lost on the gentleman.

"I am amazed and humbled by all of this," he said quietly with eyes starting to glisten. "I thank everyone here for making this happen."