WEBSTER, N.Y. — Only about 2,400 World War II veterans remain in New York, with 45,000 nationwide, according to the Department of Veterans Affairs.

News10NBC had the opportunity to speak with Frank Satta, a 103-year-old World War II veteran, about his experiences and what Veterans Day means to him.

Satta served in the Pacific Theater for the U.S. Army, island hopping across the ocean toward Japan over the course of 23 months. He even reached Japanese territory before the bombs were dropped.

“I was kind of excited. But still I was…I was a bit afraid. But I was proud to serve,” Satta said.

Satta, who lives in Webster, was born in 1922 and served alongside his two brothers during World War II.

“I was drafted. My younger brother volunteered. He was 17. And my older brother was in Europe,” Satta said. “We started with landing on a few islands. Then we were getting ready for landing on Japan. But as we were getting ready for it, they surrendered… Some of my buddies were killed in the war, and I felt bad. And I was thankful, come home in one piece,” Satta said.

Kowalski also took the opportunity to remember veterans from his own life, including his grandfather Bernard Ruoff, who served in the US Army’s 45th infantry during World War II, fighting and being wounded in the Battle for Anzio. His other grandfather, Alfred Kowalski, served in the US Army during the Korean War. His father, Stephen Kowalski, served with the Combat Engineers in Frankfurt, Germany during the Cold War.

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