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After 100 years, still standing tall 100-year-old veteran Anthony "Tony" Kanclier displays the Purple Heart he received for being wounded in WWII. Photo by Julie Raefield Thursday Nov 10, 2016 at 8:35 PM Nov 11, 2016 at 3:45 PM By Julie Raefield For the Tidings Anthony “Tony” Kanclier is the definition of grit. At 100 years old, he remains fit, friendly, feisty and frank. “I’ve lived here 70 years and this is the first time I get interviewed?” quipped Ashland resident Kanclier, with just a hint of mischievous smile. While his limited mobility may now provide some challenges, Kanclier’s lively spirit and sharp wit will shine brightly as he joins other local veterans on parade in Medford on Friday. As a former U.S. Marine Corps Platoon Sergeant, and honored recipient of the Military Order of the Purple Heart, Kanclier is today as an inspiring representative of military service, demonstrating the continuing strength of character and vitality that surely helped him survive World War II. Kanclier’s service as a Marine still defines his beliefs about what makes a life worthwhile. Asked about his advice for living a good life, Kanclier replied, “Tell the truth all the time — don’t skimp around that.” For those in the service, he added, “Do as you’re told!” A resident of Ashland since the mid-1940s, Tony has turned his exemplary service skills toward building a life in the Rogue Valley. His many years working as a local licensed carpenter can still be appreciated by viewing the homes he constructed, including the one he still lives in, and several local schools: Briscoe, Lincoln and Walker. But carpentry came after his life in the Marines, and the day that earned Kanclier his Purple Heart. Haling from St. Clairsville, Ohio, Kanclier had finished one tour of duty with the Marines from 1937-1941 when WWII broke out. Kanclier had just started work at U.S. Steel in Gary, Indiana. “I thought to myself, what am I doing here?” said Kanclier. “So I volunteered, again.” That second tour brought him to the decks of the aircraft carrier U.S.S. Lexington and the seas of the South Pacific. Just off the island of Kwajalein, Kanclier was serving as a gun captain on the 20-millimeter gun group, positioned near the stern. “The torpedo came at midnight. The Japanese fighter pilots were dropping flares. The torpedo jammed the rudder and knocked the screw off. Twenty-five guys were killed that night, rolled up in metal when we were hit,” Kanclier recalled. Kanclier’s leg was struck, broken and badly wounded. He recalled carrying his useless leg with him as the medic dragged him by his underarms to safety. He counted himself among the lucky ones. He also recalled the huge vessel, wounded as well, going in circles that night while he received battlefield care. The ship would eventually limp back to Pearl Harbor and then Bremerton, Washington, for repairs. Kanclier’s leg would take more than a year and a half to heal. But the healing did not eliminate the ongoing pain that he carries with him to this day. Luckily, the recovery yielded another kind of benefit. Kanclier met and married the nurse who cared for him. Kanclier and his wife, Ethelmae, later lived in Ashland for most of their married life. “I recall Ethelmae helping me to wheelbarrow gravel into the lot next door so we could build that house,” noted Kanclier, who built two neighboring houses in the Bellview Road area. “It was all cow pastures around us then and we used to gather white oak from the hills here to heat the house.” The physical strength that developed through military service and a life of self-sufficiency is still evident today in Kanclier’s daily routine. He proudly notes he grew 18 tomato plants this year and is still active in teaching neighbors how to can tomatoes for consumption later. He routinely shares visits with neighbors and keeps his home in ship-shape order. As testament to Kanclier’s natural community building, a recent neighborhood birthday party was dished up in honor of Kanclier’s 100th birthday on Aug. 1. Nearly 40 well-wishers attended. An oversized birthday card hangs proudly in Kanclier’s home sporting signatures from dozens of fans. That event, however, pales in comparison to the birthday bash thrown at Seven Feather’s Casino — one of Kanclier’s favorite recreation spots. A crowd of hundreds of friends, family and fellow playmates at the casino enjoyed a gigantic party in Kanclier’s honor. Using his former skills developed as a drill sergeant, Kanclier’s daily routine runs like clockwork with the help of the Volunteer Caregiver Support Program, visitors from the V.A and his regular home health assistants. On the day a reporter came by to conduct an interview, neighbor and fellow Purple Heart recipient, Douglas Terrel, and his wife Barbara, dropped in for a visit with Kanclier. Terrel will be joining Kanclier in Friday’s parade march in Medford. It starts at 11 a.m. on Hawthorne between East Jackson and East Main streets. “There is an amazing story about Tony’s Purple Heart,” said Barbara Terrel. “He keeps it in a safe and the safe was stolen awhile back. After the theft, a few weeks later, the medal arrived back in the mail.” It seems that even the thief was able to recognize Kanclier’s sacrifice and was moved to pay him the respect he deserves. For Kanclier, like so many veterans, knowing others recognize his sacrifice and the bravery of all those in service, does help mend many of the wounds endured. Kanclier added two other thoughts to share with the younger generations: “Respect people. Be courteous all the time. That is what I have learned. It makes a difference.” Email freelance writer Julie Raefield, a resident of Ashland, at [email protected].