Holy Methuselah! How in the hell did I do it? Despite Navy service in two wars, fast driving, sloe gin and other life-shortening choices, I’ve made it to really advanced old age.

Add to my wonderment at this moment, a still-vivid memory is as a kid in 1940 watching a downtown parade of Civil War veterans. Boy, were those guys old! They had fought in a war way back in 1865, 75 years ago!

This year will mark the 75th anniversary since the attack on Pearl Harbor that started World War 2. My 19-year-old brother was at Army recruiting the next morning. I was 16 and could hardly wait another year before I joined the Navy.

So, how did I manage to hang around this long? My dad died at age 35 of a disease that could have been cured today with antibiotics. My mom and siblings all made it…