JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Eva J. Miller, a navy veteran, turned 100 years old Saturday.
Friends and family celebrated Miller to honor her legacy after serving in the military over eight decades ago.
Miller stood alongside her three children that she said love her.
“I never thought I would live that long. I can hear and still walk,” Miller said.
Miller enlisted into the Navy in 1944 as a parachute rigger during World War II. Her responsibility was to check for tears or defects within the parachutes.
At that time, Miller needed her mother’s parental consent to enlist because she was not 21 years old, which was the age required to enlist. The Navy was in need of women to alleviate the men so that they could go to war and she decided to enlist despite the age restrictions.
Janet Koenig, Millers’ daughter told News4JAX that Miller’s mother granted her permission and shortly after she was headed to boot camp.
Miller said that her secret to longevity is being a hard worker.
Miller was not foreign to hard work as she mentioned her first job was on a farm where she grew up blowing horse fields.
One woman who attend the birthday celebration said that she hopes to have the same strength to make it to 100 years old as Miller did.
Miller entered the military under the leadership of President Roosevelt and she is still standing 13 presidents later.
Miller was never presented with an official plaque recognition for her service. A family friend went to the Jacksonville Naval Station to see if Miller could be officially recognized for her service, and she was awarded a plaque from the naval station.
Her recognitions included two ribbons, one that she would have worn on her uniform and another one for her service during the American campaign.
Miller mentioned she still can still recall a tragedy during her time assisting parachutists in the navy.
“The instructor took my chute and when he got down he had blood all over his face and I thought, ‘Oh lord, killed somebody.’ Scared me to death. But they had to have a chute in the back and in the front and went up and hit him in the nose,” Miller said.
Miller also reminisced on some great memories during her celebration.
Miller said during her time in the service, she met her husband from Rhode Island while they were both enlisted in the Navy.
Shortly after she retired from the navy, they got married and moved to different city every ten years. Eighty years later, she is currently spending her birthday in Jacksonville, turning 100 years old.
“I never dreamed of being 100. It’s alright. I’m doing good,” Miller said.