Oldest living veteran in Rush County celebrates 100th birthday

BISON, Kan. (KSNW) – The oldest living veteran in Rush County celebrated his 100th birthday this week.

Tech. Sgt. Alex Freidenberger says it was his calling to serve his country when he was drafted into the Army in 1944, a few years after graduating from high school.

After Freidenberger received his draft letter, he learned he would be sent to the Philippines to serve in the infantry.

“I got a notice. They wanted me to join, to go to the Army,” he said.

During training, Freidenberger shot eight out of 10 targets from 500 yards, quickly attracting attention from higher ranks.

“There was a lieutenant watching me. Afterwards, he came up to me, he said, ‘Soldier, that’s pretty darn good shooting.’ Look, I was raised on a farm; I love to shoot,” he said.

One morning, Fridenberger was told he’d be leaving on the first C-47 plane at 5 a.m.

“I don’t see any life jackets or anything. He said, ‘If this plane goes down, your Army career is over,'” he said

Fridenberger was transferred to Australia’s armed forces headquarters, which he calls one of the most exciting moments of his military career.

“But the plane didn’t go down. I looked out at the window and seen the wing, seen it flopping. I didn’t know, but we made it, we made it,” he said

After leaving the Army in 1946, Fridenberger returned to the States and married Alberta Josephine Hoffman in 1949. They were together for more than 60 years before her passing in 2012. He says they enjoyed life back in Kansas, but the journey was a bumpy one.

“In the morning, when I fired up my tractor, she started her tractor, and we farmed all day long. Ya, she helped me; she liked that,” he said.

Fridenberger has kept busy in his later years by going to Washington, D.C., on a Kansas Honor Flight, and even skydiving at 95 years old, which is a friendly competition with his grandkids. He says if life gets boring, he recommends jumping out of a plane.

“I had some grandchildren that tried to show me up; I wasn’t about to let that happen; I said no way,” he said.

Loved ones celebrated Fridenberger’s 100th birthday this week, blowing out a candle for each year of life lived.

“There’s a lot more people in the service, that done more than I did, I was happy to do what I could do. I never regretted any part of military life. I enjoyed it,” he said.

Fridenberger said he had wild adventures behind enemy lines with his best friend Buck, and if he got that draft letter today, he would do it all over again.

If you want to nominate a veteran for our Veteran Salute, email KSN at news@ksn.com .

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