By Kellie Houx
KHoux@cherryroad.com

GLADSTONE — Minus a diminished voice and some pain in this left knee, Vernon Crow told the Gladstone Dispatch that he feels great for his age.

His age just happens to be 100 years as of June 6.

In 1925, the Jazz Age was in full swing; Mount Rushmore was on its way to becoming a lasting U.S. memorial; Charlie Chaplin’s film “The Gold Rush” was released; and the 1925 serum run, known as the “Great Race of Mercy” relays diphtheria antitoxin by dog sled across the U.S. Territory of Alaska to combat an epidemic. Plus Crow was born.

On Friday, June 7, family and friends, plus former coworkers and students, filled up the community hall at Faubion Church in Gladstone to celebrate Crow.

The father of four sons and one daughter blew out candles and greeted people with a beaming smile.

His son Byron Crow shared that his father served in the United States Navy for 33 years and taught for five years in Shawnee Mission, Kansas after his military retirement. He taught science

“Dad moved to Gladstone in 2000,” Byron said. “He didn’t slow down. He was the head of the community watch.”

Speaking with Vernon, one has to lean in some to hear him, but his stories and life lessons are worth the listen.

When asked how he lived to be 100, Vernon said he never smoked, never drank alcohol and always tried to do the right thing.

“Doing the right thing includes doing the right things for those around me too,” he explained. “I really don’t have any complaints.”

Vernon joked that next year, he is ready to start over with his first birthday rather than hit 101.

“My first goal was to reach 75,” he said. “I didn’t expect to live to be 100.”

Vernon, enlisting at the age of 17, served in World War II as a radio man in the South Pacific. He then got moved to the Atlantic theater to run radar, looking for German subs. He attended the Naval War College and spent a brief time in Korea. He also was part of the early stages of the Vietnam conflict.

For a number of years, he tracked Russian shipping and subs and then served as navigator that operated a seadrome in the South China Sea to restrict supplies behind shipped into South Vietnam from North Vietnam and China.

When he retired, he was at the rank of lieutenant commander. His sons and he served a total of 109 years in the military and currently has a grandson serving.

When asked beyond his family, what brought him joy and fulfillment, Vernon said he was assigned to map Alaska to determine where and how the Alaska Pipeline should be built. He spoke of his pride for his crew in mapping out the terrain.

“I know there are fair better maps out there now, but our efforts really made a difference,” he said.