Local WWII vet turns 103
By Kat Russell, Reporter
The Paducah Sun
January 26, 2017
http://www.paducahsun.com/news/local/012617_PS_103_Birthday-2076118
Asked his secret to living such a long life, James McWaters said with a grin, "I've been a good boy."
A veteran of World War II and native of western Kentucky, McWaters, who fondly goes by "Mac," celebrated his 103rd birthday Wednesday at Brookdale Assisted Living in Paducah.
Although he may not get around like he used to, McWaters' mind is still sharp, and he loves to tell stories.
In 1943, he was drafted into the Army and sent overseas to Europe and the Philippines to serve as a mechanic during WWII. Ask McWaters about his service and he'll tell you, "I didn't do much fighting."
"One time, I set my rifle up against a tree and took a nap," he said. "And the rifle fell over and fired, and that's the only time I ever fired a gun."
McWaters' daughter Shirley Grimm said her father has always had a mechanical interest -- he was "always tinkering with things" -- which made him a good mechanic.
One of his favorite stories to tell is about building an Army jeep, just to see if he could.
While stationed in Europe, McWaters said he built the jeep using scrapped parts, and he and his buddies would to drive around in it for fun.
"When it was time for me to go home," he said, "I couldn't take the jeep with me, so I traded it for a pair of shoes."
Grimm said her father also built a motorcycle while he was overseas. When time came for him to head stateside, Grimm said, "He buried the motorcycle because he didn't want the Germans to have it."
After his discharge from the Army in 1946, McWaters returned to Paducah and went to work as a route salesman for the Colonial Bread Company. Those years, Grimm said, hold some of her fondest memories of her father.
"He would take me with him on his bread routes when he was a salesman," she said. "And he'd always show me off because he said I looked just like him."
One day, she said, her father came home and presented the family with a breadbox. Inside was the family's first dog.
After 20 years with the bread company, McWaters left and ran a car dealership on Paducah's southside. He also worked for 10 years at an automotive plant in Detroit.
Her father, Grimm said, was an avid reader, which might be one of the reasons his mind has stayed sharp all these years. Every day, she said, McWaters would go to the McCracken County Library to find new books to read.
"Everybody there knew him," she said. "They all loved him, and the library staff would set aside books for him that they thought he would like."
McWaters was the youngest of seven children, Grimm said. His father died when he was 9 months old, and all the children worked to support the family.
McWaters, she said, made it to the eighth grade before the time came for him to go to work.
"He's a very strong man," Grimm said. "He always took care of his mom and has always taken care of his family."
Today, McWaters' favorite thing to do is visit with people. He loves children, he loves to make people laugh and, despite his many years, he's remained quick-witted and young at heart.
A veteran of World War II and native of western Kentucky, McWaters, who fondly goes by "Mac," celebrated his 103rd birthday Wednesday at Brookdale Assisted Living in Paducah.
Although he may not get around like he used to, McWaters' mind is still sharp, and he loves to tell stories.
In 1943, he was drafted into the Army and sent overseas to Europe and the Philippines to serve as a mechanic during WWII. Ask McWaters about his service and he'll tell you, "I didn't do much fighting."
"One time, I set my rifle up against a tree and took a nap," he said. "And the rifle fell over and fired, and that's the only time I ever fired a gun."
McWaters' daughter Shirley Grimm said her father has always had a mechanical interest -- he was "always tinkering with things" -- which made him a good mechanic.
One of his favorite stories to tell is about building an Army jeep, just to see if he could.
While stationed in Europe, McWaters said he built the jeep using scrapped parts, and he and his buddies would to drive around in it for fun.
"When it was time for me to go home," he said, "I couldn't take the jeep with me, so I traded it for a pair of shoes."
Grimm said her father also built a motorcycle while he was overseas. When time came for him to head stateside, Grimm said, "He buried the motorcycle because he didn't want the Germans to have it."
After his discharge from the Army in 1946, McWaters returned to Paducah and went to work as a route salesman for the Colonial Bread Company. Those years, Grimm said, hold some of her fondest memories of her father.
"He would take me with him on his bread routes when he was a salesman," she said. "And he'd always show me off because he said I looked just like him."
One day, she said, her father came home and presented the family with a breadbox. Inside was the family's first dog.
After 20 years with the bread company, McWaters left and ran a car dealership on Paducah's southside. He also worked for 10 years at an automotive plant in Detroit.
Her father, Grimm said, was an avid reader, which might be one of the reasons his mind has stayed sharp all these years. Every day, she said, McWaters would go to the McCracken County Library to find new books to read.
"Everybody there knew him," she said. "They all loved him, and the library staff would set aside books for him that they thought he would like."
McWaters was the youngest of seven children, Grimm said. His father died when he was 9 months old, and all the children worked to support the family.
McWaters, she said, made it to the eighth grade before the time came for him to go to work.
"He's a very strong man," Grimm said. "He always took care of his mom and has always taken care of his family."
Today, McWaters' favorite thing to do is visit with people. He loves children, he loves to make people laugh and, despite his many years, he's remained quick-witted and young at heart.
