Countless veterans have walked the decks of the Battleship USS Iowa over the years.
But few, if any, have been as beloved by the San Pedro ship’s crew as Lloyd Glick, a Huntington Beach resident and one of a dwindling number of World War II veterans.
That’s why about 100 people — including Glick’s family and friends, and members of the battleship’s volunteer crew — gathered aboard the Iowa on Saturday, Dec. 30, to celebrate the retired Navy petty officer’s 100th birthday.
“We’re really pulling out all the stops,” Sue Schmidt, volunteer services manager for the Battleship USS Iowa Museum, said in a Friday interview. “We love Lloyd. He’s very special.”
The celebration, like Glick, was special indeed.
When Glick arrived, the crew and others stood on either side of the gangway as he was piped aboard the ship — an honor, using a bosun’s whistle, reserved for distinguished people and occasions.
Once aboard, a Navy Band vocalist performed for Glick and the Iowa’s large — and cacophonous — Mount 56 guns blasted blanks in his honor. There were also some presentations in the wardroom, including Glick receiving a certificate of recognition from Los Angeles County Supervisor Janice Hahn’s office.
Glick is familiar with the Iowa’s wardroom. He has been one of the museum’s veteran ambassadors since 2015, regularly setting up photos in the wardroom and telling personal tales of his life and service to those who visit the Iowa, Schmidt said.
The crowds, Schmidt said, love hearing his stories.
There aren’t too many World War II veterans left, after all.
Of the 16 million Americans who served during World War II, fewer than 1% are still alive, according to the National WWII Museum — and 131 die each day. Two of the Iowa’s WWII veteran volunteers died in December, Schmidt said.
But Glick, despite being a centenarian, is still full of energy. In 2022, the former Navy bugler performed Taps during LA Fleet Week. He and his wife…
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