--- title: "100 Marines showed up for an Iwo Jima veteran’s 100th Birthday" description: "Cpl. Eddie Vincek was 19 when he landed on Iwo Jima. In September, 100 Marines helped him celebrate his 100th birthday." date: "2024-10-04" modified: "2024-10-04" authors: - name: "Matt White" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://taskandpurpose.com/authors/matt-white.md" url: "https://taskandpurpose.com/news/100-marines-showed-up-for-an-iwo-jima-veterans-100th-birthday/" categories: - "Marine Corps" - "Military Branches" - "News" --- # 100 Marines showed up for an Iwo Jima veteran’s 100th Birthday ![U.S. Marine Corps veteran, Cpl. Eddie Vincek, a WWII veteran and Battle of Iwo Jima survivor, poses for a group photo with Marines from Training Company , Marine Corps Security Forces Regiment during his 100th birthday celebration at the Ruritan Club, Chesapeake, Va., Sept. 29, 2024. Vincek served with ‘A’ Company, 1st Battalion, 28th Marine Regiment, 5th Marine Division in the Battle of Iwo Jima which was one of the last and most violent struggles of the WWII campaign in the Pacific. During the celebration, Vincek was joined by close family and friends and honored with a challenge coin and plaque. (U.S. Marine Corps photo taken by Lance Cpl. Catherine S. Verenzuela Mariano)]() *Cpl. Eddie Vincek, a Marine veteran of Iwo Jima, during his 100th birthday celebration. Lance Cpl. Catherine Verenzuela Mariano* Eddie Vincek landed on Iwo Jima about an hour after the first wave of Marines hit the beach. A member of 1st Battalion, 28th Marine Regiment, it was his first taste of combat, he told [an interviewer with his Veterans of Foreign Wars]() post. “Working on a dairy farm,” he told the VFW, “I was used to seeing animal blood, but not human blood covering over the ground.” On Sept. 29, Vincek celebrated his 100th birthday at a Ruritan Club in Chesapeake, Virginia, where he was a farmer for most of his life after leaving the Marine Corps in 1946. For the party, 100 active-duty Marines showed up to help him celebrate. The Marines came from Training Company, [Marine Corps Security Force Regiment](), in Yorktown, Virginia, about an hour from Chesapeake. The Marines stood in formation to sing Happy Birthday for "Corporal Vincek." ![U.S. Marine Corps veteran, Cpl. Eddie Vincek, a WWII veteran and Battle of Iwo Jima survivor, poses for a group photo with Marines from Training Company , Marine Corps Security Forces Regiment during his 100th birthday celebration at the Ruritan Club, Chesapeake, Va., Sept. 29, 2024. Vincek served with ‘A’ Company, 1st Battalion, 28th Marine Regiment, 5th Marine Division in the Battle of Iwo Jima which was one of the last and most violent struggles of the WWII campaign in the Pacific. During the celebration, Vincek was joined by close family and friends and honored with a challenge coin and plaque. (U.S. Marine Corps photo taken by Lance Cpl. Catherine S. Verenzuela Mariano)]() *Cpl. Eddie Vincek with Marines of Training Company, [Marine Corps Security Force Regiment](), in Yorktown, Virginia. Photo by Lance Cpl. Catherine S. Verenzuela Mariano. Lance Cpl. Catherine Verenzuela Mariano* On Feb. 19, 1945, Vincek was assigned to A Company, 1st Battalion, 28th Marine Regiment, 5th Marine Division for the Iwo Jima landing. In fierce fighting, the 28th Regiment was the only Marine unit to reach its objective for the day at the base of Mount Suribachi. It was also Marines from the 28th Regiment — though not Vincek's battalion — who first planted a flag on top of the mountain ([and a second one the next day]()), leading to the iconic photograph and design of the U.S. Marine Corps War Memorial. Two men from Vincek's 1st Battalion were awarded the Medal of Honor at Iwo Jima. Of the battalion's 22 officers, only two emerged from the battle uninjured. “I was one of the few that walked off carrying my own gear," Vincek told the VFW. "So many others had been killed or wounded and weren’t able to carry their own gear off the island.” ## The latest on Task & Purpose - **Marine sergeant major fired from West Coast bootcamp now** [**in brig**]() **amid investigation** - **Army** [**sends troops, artillery**]() **to the Aleutian Islands as Russian planes again fly near Alaska** - **Marine who died trying to** [**reach trapped Osprey pilots**]() **honored for final bravery** - **Former** [**West Point**]() **garrison commander cleared of most charges that led to firing** - **Navy’s first fully gender-integrated submarine joins the fleet.** [**Here’s what that means**]() ## Author Matt White is a senior editor at Task & Purpose*.* He writes on news, people and events that affect the lives of those in the Army, Air Force and Space Force, Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard. He also helps direct and edit coverage across Task & Purpose’s newsroom. He has written widely on military aviation and mishaps, service members with unique stories, and special operations including [combat search and rescue](). Got a story to tell? You can reach Matt at [matthew.white@taskandpurpose.com]() ### Author social links [Facebook]()