OSSEO — While the 101st in the military may refer to the air assault infantry division of the United States Army, it has a different significance to Joe Urban.
On Monday, Urban celebrated his 101st birthday with members of his family at the Dove Healthcare Assisted Living Apartments in Osseo. He lived in Neillsville, owned a car dealership, attended UW-Madison, married his “high school sweetheart,” played accordion and, among many other life accomplishments, served as a radio operator for the United States Army Signal Corps during World War II.
“You don’t know what your life is going to be,” said Urban.
But while visited by family, Urban was also honored by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs, or VA. Urban met with Bryan Prahl, Tomah VA associate director, on Monday in the lounge area of the assisted living facility.
Prahl said a program was first implemented by former Secretary of Veterans Affairs Robert Wilkie in November of 2020 to recognize and honor veterans in their late 90s or just turning 100 on their birthday. The program has continued with the current Secretary of Veterans Affairs, Denis McDonough, and Prahl said it has honored over 400 veterans across the country with individuals as old as 107.
“It is another chance to recognize our special veterans, especially those from the ‘Greatest Generation,’” he said.
The 101-year-old veteran received a special milestone plaque and coin as a birthday gift from the local VA organization based out of Tomah.
Urban recalled his time serving from 1943 to 1946 in Scotland, France and Germany, very close towards the end of the war. When he was sent to Paris, Urban said he was told he would be on a special mission: setting up and broadcasting a message across Europe for when Berlin fell.
It was close to the end of the war when Urban was in Germany, ready to execute his mission.
“The next day, we were supposed to head into Berlin,” he said. “But the Russians moved in to Berlin, so we never got to use my practice.”
“At this time, it was expected that Berlin would go to the United States,” said Prahl, speaking to the family during the award ceremony. “This special group had six weeks of practice setting up and flew around in four C-47s, an old two-engine plane. When Russia took Berlin, the group was disbanded.”
A little over 79 years later, Urban now celebrates his birthday with both his kids and grandkids who thank him for what he did long ago.
“What he did in the military was really something,” said Kristen Rabe, Urban’s granddaughter. “He didn’t hold a rifle, but he could have been easily taken out just like other people who didn’t come back. It is a very important role to serve.”
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