Veteran organization celebrates member’s 100th birthday
BUTLER TWP — The Penn Township Veterans had a meeting planned for Thursday, April 25, but before conducting any business, they celebrated the 100th birthday of one of the group’s members, World War II veteran Dennis Bogan.
Bogan was drafted by the Navy in April 1943 and headed to boot camp in Ray Lakes, Ill. Bogan, who worked as a union bricklayer for 50 years, is proud of his service and will share his experiences overseas with others for as long as he is able. But on Thursday, he simply thanked the room full of people for celebrating his birthday alongside him.
“I’m amazed that all these people here are coming out to see,” Bogan said.
Chuck Kaczmarek, president of the Penn Township Veterans, said he has known Bogan for years and told a story about Bogan’s 90th birthday, where he spoke with Bogan’s brother.
“My wife and I were up at his birthday and his brother was sitting at the table, and we were eating lunch there, and he told us he was on the USS Leary,” Kaczmarek said. “I said, ‘You couldn’t have been on the USS Leary because I was.’
“I was in the Vietnam era, and he was in the second world war. The USS Leary got commissioned around 1944, right before the war ended, and he went on it.”
After a laugh from the crowd, Kaczmarek said he was happy to be so close with the Bogans through the years.
“It’s amazing how that happens, like someone like Dennis’ brother being on that ship and I got on that ship, too,” Kaczmarek said. “I’m blessed to be with the Bogans.”
