LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — In a place where you can stop and smell the roses, Vincent Shank says he prefers to stay on the move.
“Everybody asks what's your secret and there isn't any secret! Just keep walking,” said the 104-year-old Shank.
But his life has been far from a walk in the park.
He is a World War II veteran and joined the armed forces after Pearl Harbor.
On one of his missions, he was captured and spent nearly two years as a prisoner of war.
“On my 33rd mission I got shot down on the island of Sicily,” Shank said.
Eventually, he was rescued, and it took his life down a new path - one filled with milestone after milestone.
Now, ahead of his 105th birthday, Shank says he plans to celebrate in true Vegas style with a big parade and some friends.
So, what does another trip around the sun mean to this veteran?
"It’s exciting. It makes me happy to see so many people turn out and make something out of it,” Shank said.
And even though he says there is no secret to a long life it’s probably a good idea to take advice from someone who has 10 decades under his belt.
"You have to walk… the more you walk the longer you live,” he said.
