It may not have been an easy year, but Henry Kriwokon turns 101 on Jan. 26.
The World War II veteran, still in his own home in Penticton, is one of two living veterans from the famous 鈥榃ait for me, Daddy!鈥� photo.
For him, it鈥檚 hard to describe what being 101, or 100 is like, compared to any other year close to that.
鈥�101? I don鈥檛 know, I鈥檝e got to get there first,鈥� said Kriwokon. 鈥淧eople ask that, I don鈥檛 know how to answer that, I don鈥檛 feel any different.鈥�
With the pandemic, Kriwokon has been careful to make sure that he stayed safe, refusing visitors and keeping up with his family over the phone.
Born in Saskatchewan in 1920, Kriwokon spent 40 years in Hope after serving in the Second World War (WWII). He then moved to the United States for a year after his wife passed away before he finally moved to Penticton in 1999.
When he shipped out as part of the war effort, he stepped into Canadian history as one of the many soldiers captured by photographer Claude P. Detloff.
| Wait for me, Daddy. The photo was captured on Nov. 1, 1940 as members of the B.C. Regiment (Duke of Connaught鈥檚 Own Rifles) were preparing to board the S.S. Princess Joan at the New Westminster CPR docks. (Claude P. Detloff) |
The crossing itself wasn鈥檛 a pleasant one, with the seas wracked by storms, but that may have helped Kriwokon make it to England.
鈥淚 wasn鈥檛 seasick. But with the seas like that, the (enemy) subs couldn鈥檛 operate, and the Atlantic was full of them during the war.鈥�
Kriwokon is now one of only two remaining soldiers whose photo was taken by Detloff.
鈥淭here were 1,000 in that picture, there鈥檚 only two of us left. The other lives in Summerland.鈥�
It was the climate that kept him in the Okanagan. It was the closest thing in temperature and climate to Arizona, and it had had health care.
鈥淚 lived for 40 years in Hope 鈥� down there it鈥檚 quite a lot of snow, and always it鈥檚 heavy, heavy rain and wind.鈥�
Last year, he celebrated hitting the century mark with a party at the Polish Bistro in Penticton. This year, the plan is to have a take-out order from the bistro for his birthday.
He doesn鈥檛 have much to say about how to reach 101, but he does have some lessons that he feels he鈥檚 learned over his life.
鈥淪tay away from booze, except maybe the odd beer, stay away from drugs. And keep active, that鈥檚 about it.鈥�
Even with 101 still ahead, he鈥檚 looking forward to more birthdays yet to come.
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