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WWII veteran, Roscoe Joyner, celebrated another milestone as he turned 106 on Tuesday, March 11.

“Well, it is just like any other day, I guess,” said Joyner. “I’m just happy to be here.”

It may have been just another day for him, but not for countless family and friends. To date, he has received well over 200 birthday cards. Some in the mail and others delivered to him in person at his home in Belhaven. Among those were from all of the workers at Marty’s Thrift Shop in Belhaven, where each of the workers signed cards and brought them to his home.

Born in Spring Hope, North Carolina, Joyner served in the U.S. Army from 1941 through 1945 as part of the 203rd Field Artillery Group, which was assigned to General George S. Patton’s Third US Army. He took part in numerous combat operations, which included neutralizing German batteries along the Moselle River, the capture of the fortress at Metz, and supporting the 90th and 95th Infantry Divisions as they advanced through the Siegfried Line into Luxembourg and Belgium during the Battle of the Bulge. In November of 2024, he was bestowed the French Legion of Honor, France’s highest decoration, for his military service. He was presented the medal at a special celebration in Belhaven by the Consul General of France in Atlanta, Anne-Laure Desjonquères.