One of the newest residents at Good Samaritan Society – New Underwood in western South Dakota is among our nation’s oldest and most celebrated veterans.
100-year-old, highly decorated World War II veteran Paul Priest can still preach about many of his battle stories from Germany.
“I’m a talkative person. I talk, talk, talk,” Priest jokes. “’Can you speak for a half hour?’ ‘Oh sure, I’ll go for an hour.'”
Priest was drafted into the Army and landed in France on Christmas Day of 1944, his 19th birthday.
Just don’t ask the soldier about serving in a 9th Armored Division tank in Europe.
“Dad rode in a tank for (a few) days and said, ‘I will die outside this tank,'” daughter Lillie Pendleton says. “‘I will not stay in this any longer.’ So, they put him into reconnaissance.”
Priest remembers, “no, I didn’t like tanks. I was in a tank for two days. I said, ‘I want out of here!'”
An elite navigator, Priest switched to leading dangerous recon missions as a Private First Class. Pendleton says her father is the last surviving soldier of the Battle of Remagen where American forces famously captured the Ludendorff Bridge.
“He described running from pillar to pillar as he was seeing his fellow people being shot. When you got ready to run to the next pillar, you just prayed you made it,” Pendleton says. “He was the very first group to go over the bridge.”
Priest was awarded several medals for his valor including the Bronze Star.
“Sure I’m proud of them,” Priest says. “Very few got them. And I’m one of the few that’s left.”
Good Samaritan prioritizes caring for veterans
Controlling the last remaining bridge over the Rhine River allowed nine American divisions to cross into Germany before the bridge’s collapse in March of 1945. The effort helped bring an end to the war.
“I survived. The fellow been killed beside of me and I still survived,” Priest says. “Even when a bullet hit my helmet, it just put a big dent in it but didn’t draw any blood. Just knocked me out.”
Good Samaritan administrator Paul Hubbeling says it’s an organizational priority to care for veterans and hire them as team members.
“It’s a treasure. It’s an honor to be able to take care of him,” Hubbeling says.
Having Priest on campus this past year has been a privilege.
“My son is a Marine, Sgt. Hubbeling, so I’m proud of him and of course I have my own family members that were in World War II. It’s just an honor to extend a hand to that group of people that have done so much for our freedom, liberties,” Hubbeling says.
Pendleton appreciates the staff at the long-term care facility and the idea of supporting veterans.
“It’s a fantastic thing and veterans deserve it. When they come back, they deserve a job. They deserve some health (care). They deserve what they’ve gotten because they’ve gone through a lot,” Pendleton says.
Centenarian continues to stay active
An extremely active centenarian, Priest enjoys puzzles, helping the team decorate a patriotic garden and chatting with friends.
“I don’t like to sit still. Really, I don’t,” Priest says. “You got to be active. If you’re not, you’re not going to do anything.”
Pendleton adds, “he is more active here, more social here than he has ever been in the last three or four years.”
Today, less than 0.5% of the 16.4 million Americans who served in World War II are still alive to share their experiences. Priest still gets requests each year to travel to special events honoring veterans from the “Greatest Generation.”
“It’s a free world and it should be,” Priest says.
A free world thanks to the sacrifices of many.
When people show gratitude for his military service, Priest adds it “makes me feel good. That I’m doing something for somebody.”
Learn more
- Good Samaritan strives to be top veterans’ employer, care provider
- Surprise gift comes at right time for veteran and family
- At 85, veteran is cherished nursing home volunteer
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Posted In Senior Services, Veterans
