ORANGE PARK – A 100-year-old veteran was celebrated alongside hundreds of others Saturday, Sept. 28, at the third annual Veteran’s Appreciation celebration at Moosehaven.

Veterans are celebrated in a special way each year at the annual celebration. This year, Winton Carter, 100, was brought on stage to be thanked for his numerous years of service. Carter, who was just one of hundreds of veterans that attended the celebration, was honored to live in an area that takes such good care of its veterans.

“It’s a wonderful honor to be here and it means a lot,” Carter said.

Carter joined the military as a marine in 1939 and quickly found himself in the Pacific Theater of World War II. It was here that he received a purple heart on June 15, 1944. That wound didn’t stop him though because Carter would continue to serve on various boats, submarine bases and more for another 17 years to bring his service total to 22 years.

Commissioner Wayne Bolla read a proclamation to solidify Carter’s service into Clay County history. Carter has stories upon stories to tell but the one that tickles Carter most is about how he witnessed the flag go up at Iwo Jima.

“I was helping unload cigarette cartons to make sure that I got mine,” Carter said. “Somebody pointed out that they were lifting the flag up on the island and I said, ‘so what? They put flags up on every island.”

Little did Carter know that this flag would represent the Battle of Iwo Jima and the greater war efforts of the U.S. military.

“It was a wonderful thing to see anyway though,” Carter said.

Carter’s life continued long after his service as he recently celebrated his 100th birthday on Sept. 23. He said his secret to a long life is to trust in the Lord above. Carter remembers turning 100 and asking the Lord, “I’ve reached this goal. Now what?

“You just have to trust in him. You know, how much longer is he going to put up with you?”

NAS JAX Commanding Officer Michael P. Connor spoke to the crowd of hundreds full of veterans and their supporters alike and used his time to thank them for their service.

“Events like this are important,” Connor said. “This event lets them know that they are not forgotten. There’s a time in our history where men and women...were forgotten and that is not the case anymore. Their sacrifices are valued and respected and Clay County has a rich history of serving our nation.”

Connor explained how important Clay County and northeast Florida are to the U.S. military as it is a part of an extremely important military triangle. Between NAS JAX, the Mayport Base and the submarine base of King’s Bay, Connor said this trifecta covers the air, the ocean and under the sea like no other.

Veterans and guests were greeted with food, activities, live entertainment and vendors at the Moosehaven celebration who were there to not only make them feel special, but to let them know that their service is appreciated and that Clay County is here to help.

“This is about thanking them for their service and celebrating their contribution to the community and I’m excited Clay County is able to do something like this for them each year,” Cella said.