TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — He had a lot of people shooting at him, and he still lived to be a hundred years old.
Even if you lived a quiet life it’s an achievement to reach one hundred years old. But Art Dahlstrand took a riskier road. When World War II broke out he lied about his age to join the Marines when he was just 17.
“I chose the Marines because they had beautiful uniforms. They had blue pants with red stripes, and then they had all these medals and everything.”
But there were no fancy uniforms when Art Dahlstrand was in four of the roughest island invasions of the Pacific War,including Iwo Jima where more than 24 thousand Marines were wounded and more than six thousand died.
His job made him one of the first Marines to hit the beaches. He called in target information to artillery and ships firing big guns from offshore.
He says after enough time bouncing around the ocean in a landing craft, landing on an island full of people trying to kill him did not seem so bad.
“By the time we got to wandering around in the ocean out there with a diesel engine over here, just get me out of there.”
In part of her long career, retired Three Star Admiral Nora Tyson commanded a type of ship that carries Marines into battle.
She says as a modern veteran she is grateful for warriors like Art Dahlstrand and what their bravery preserved for us and our country.
“You look at people like Art with awe because you understand what he and his counterparts went through and we're here because of them and their sacrifices.”
Art Dahlstrand said he didn’t think too much about making it to a hundred until he was almost there.
“And then I had some friends who said, I have to make it to 100, no matter what, I have to make it. So I put my efforts on trying to do that.”
