On Saturday, June 8, 100-year-old Harold Terence and 97-year-old Jenny Swearing were married in a moving ceremony in Carentan-les-Mares, Normandy. The date also marked the 80th anniversary of D-Day, a pivotal event in World War II history. Harold, a World War II veteran, expressed his immense joy before the wedding, “I’m over the moon,” he told People magazine. “The mayor is going to marry us.”
Family Celebrations
The wedding was a family affair, with Terrence’s granddaughter singing “I Will Always Love You” and Terrence’s great-granddaughter walking down the aisle as a flower girl. Jenny’s daughter walked her down the aisle, a touching gesture that highlighted how close their family is. Jenny added with a smile: “My son will walk me down the aisle.”
A Patriot’s Journey
Harold’s life story is a testimony to his resilience and dedication. Born in the Bronx, New York, he joined the Army Air Corps 82 years ago at the age of 18. “I was playing basketball with my friends on campus when I heard that Pearl Harbor had been bombed,” he recalled. Although his parents initially refused to sign him up because of his age, he eventually joined the Army the day after Thanksgiving in 1942.
War Memories
Terrence’s military career began with basic training in Miami Beach and continued to Sioux Falls, South Dakota, where he spent five months learning radios and the surface-to-air 522 superheterodyne receiver. Later, he became a Morse code operator with the 350th Fighter Squadron in England. Recalling D-Day, he said, “I talked to all the pilots. Every pilot we had was in the fight. We lost half our planes and pilots that day. It was one of the saddest days of my life.”
Postwar life
After the war, Terrence returned to the United States and married his first wife, Thelma, in 1948. They were married for 70 years until Thelma’s death in 2018. They had three children, and Harold never thought he would fall in love again. However, fate had other plans.
Second chance
Harold met June in 2021 through Joanne Scosham, the daughter of June’s late partner, Saul Katz. June, a twice-widowed mother of three, met Harold on a blind date. “At our blind date lunch, Harold didn’t look at me and I didn’t look at him,” June recalls. However, at a subsequent dinner, a simple knee-to-knee touch sparked a profound connection. “Something changed inside of me. I think I fell in love with her at that moment,” Harold says.
Unexpected Proposal
The proposal took place unexpectedly—in the garage. Harold couldn’t wait, so he got down on one knee and soiled his white pants. “I said, ‘Let’s get married.’ She said, ‘Of course,'” Harold recalled. Then he gave Jenny a wedding ring to make sure she wouldn’t slip away.
Grand Celebration
Thanks to a collaborative effort between Delta Air Lines, the Best Defense Foundation and Michelin North America, the couple was able to fly to France for their wedding and the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings. The move continues Delta’s tradition of flying surviving American World War II veterans to France to commemorate the historic invasion.
Paris Honeymoon
After their wedding, Harold and Jenny will honeymoon in Paris. The couple, who have 15 grandchildren and 17 great-grandchildren, are excited about this new chapter. Jenny admires Harold’s unique qualities, saying, “This guy is unique in every way. He’s smart. He could be president of the United States when he’s 100. He’s funny. I made him laugh for the first time in his life.”
Eternal Love
Harold’s love for Jenny never faded. “From that moment on, it never faded. I feel the same way now as I did then,” he said. Their love story, set against a backdrop of historical significance, is a beautiful reminder that love has no age limit and can blossom even when it is least expected.
Their wedding, held in Carentan-le-Mare, the site of the Allied invasion 80 years earlier, not only commemorated a momentous historical event, but also celebrated the enduring power of love and the possibility of starting a new life at any age.
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