CANTON, Mass. — Strangers from across New England and the globe are penning their birthday wishes to Howard Hanson, a lifetime Canton resident and World War II veteran who turns 100 this weekend.
Hanson’s centennial celebrations kicked off two weeks ago when he was surprised by generations of his family at the Brookmeadow Country Club.
In 1943, at the age of 18, he was sworn into the Navy as a third-class petty officer coxswain.
During his service at the height of World War II, he landed on Omaha Beach in Normandy, France, after the storm on D-Day. His family says he spent the next three nights in a foxhole on the island.
In the years following his service, he received many awards for his heroism, including the Presidential Unit Citation (Army) for Extraordinary Heroism, the Croix de Guerre, and more.
After the war, he studied the saxophone and clarinet at Schillinger House, which is currently known as Berklee College of Music.
You can find Hanson on his Walpole Street home nowadays. His letter carrier, Jayne Murphy, stops by almost every day.
Over the last two weeks, ahead of his birthday, Murphy’s been delivering dozens of birthday letters for Howard across New England and the globe.
Murphy told Boston 25 she’s been spreading Howard’s story on social media and asking community members and strangers to wish her friend a happy birthday before turning 100 on Sunday.
Hanson added, “Unbelievable! Complete surprise.”
The two read one letter he received out loud, “Thank you for your service, and god bless. You’re an amazing veteran and a wonderful man... Keep having fun!”
Murphy finished, “It’s so simple. Everybody says mail doesn’t matter ... It does matter because I get to see this clown every day!”
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