FORSYTH COUNTY, Georgia. – You can see Ralph Szweda at the Forsyth County YMCA several times a week. He and several other veterans participate in a number of activities there. At 91 years old, he is easily among the oldest. But that hasn’t stopped him from boxing to maintain his mobility.

Szweda is full of energy and quite talkative for his age. FOX 5 Atlanta reporter Kevyn Stewart confronted him one on one and the vet didn’t pull any punches.

In his opinion, too many people take Veterans Day for granted.

“I actually heard this comment the other day: ‘Wow, I didn’t notice any Veterans Day sales,'” the Korean War-era veteran recalled. “Well, I guess they were looking for a new mattress; kind of sad.”

Szweda is hopeful for a bright future, but admits she is sometimes disappointed. He doesn’t think Americans are good at remembering history.

Ralph Szweda, Korean War veteran

“Many places in this world still depend on our services. Being in the time of the Korean War, many people don’t realize what happened, they don’t remember it,” he exclaimed. “Young people are not aware of (the) Vietnam (war).”

He reminded Stewart that there is a real danger in not knowing one’s own history, or what he and other veterans experienced.

“Because if you don’t know your history, you’re going to repeat it,” he said. “I know it’s an axiom, but, at this point in our lives, it’s a very important axiom.”

Too tall to fly the planes of the time, the veteran served in the US and worked in the Air Force for four years. He was stationed in Japan, where he worked as a specialist in basic mechanization, that is, IT, it was previously called IT.

After being discharged, he went to college and taught.

Ralph Szweda, Korean War veteran

There is no fountain of youth responsible for Szweda’s vibrant spirit after all these years. In fact, he told Stewart that it’s actually pretty simple.

“My secret is that mentally I feel like I have to exercise to keep going and work,” Szweda said. “I also try to eat healthy.”

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