Soldotna WWII veteran reflects on life amid 100th birthday celebration
Alvin “Al” Hershberger is preparing this month to celebrate his 100th birthday
SOLDOTNA, Alaska (KTUU) - A Soldotna man is preparing this month to celebrate his 100th birthday.
Alvin “Al” Hershberger, known for his role in starting many early establishments in the Kenai Peninsula town, is turning 100 on Sept. 19.
“I never really gave it too much thought,” Hershberger said when asked how it feels to be turning 100.
As a young man in Indiana, Hershberger says he enlisted to serve in World War II. During the war, he served in Germany, France, Austria and Czechoslovakia.
In total, he said he served in combat for just under a year.
“There was the sounds of war that were going on all night long,” Hershberger said. “I was in the field artillery. We fired 155mm cannons. I was an ammunition handler ... every night we’d load up ammunition and take it out to where we had the guns set up.”
According to family members, Hershberger first arrived in Alaska in 1947 after serving in the war.
He said an Army buddy from the war sent him a letter in 1946 asking if he wanted to claim a homestead in Alaska with him.
“I had never thought about Alaska. I never gave it any thought,” Hershberger said. “Well, then immediately I started reading up on it and of course, in no time at all, we were here.”
For Hershberger, Alaska was different and refreshing. It was in Alaska where he started to learn how to fly and started building numerous businesses in Soldotna.
“I had the first barber shop in Soldotna, I had the first radio and TV and television and electronic store in Soldotna. I had the first charter air service. I had the first furniture store in Soldotna,” Hershberger recalled.
With almost 100 years under his belt, Hershberger said he is not stuck on the number, but rather the life he lived in that century.
“I didn’t feel it was important how many years I lived. What was important, how well I lived those years,” Hershberger said. “I feel satisfied that I lived them fairly well.”
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