How the Bay Area's last WWII veterans and their families are keeping history alive

"Time is running out for the last living U.S. veterans of World War II. At 102 years old 103 next month, he said with a grin Robert Heiss spends his afternoons playing cribbage and devouring murder mysteries at the Veterans Home of California in Yountville, where he's lived since 2008. At first glance, he's a cheerful centenarian enjoying the quiet routines of retirement."

"Then, he grew up a little. On his 19th birthday, on Dec. 7, 1941, Heiss's dad woke him up with the news that Pearl Harbor had been bombed. The United States would declare war on Japan the next day, marking the country's entrance into World War II. His life changed in an instant, Heiss tearfully recalled. On the West Coast, we were all scared we could be next, he said between sobs. How could they get this far without our knowing?"

"The National WWII Museum in New Orleans, Louisiana, estimates that about 45,518 U.S. veterans of World War II are still alive, all now in their 90s or older. In California, there are an estimated 10,703 survivors the most of any state. By 2030, the national total is expected to fall to just over 5,000, and by 2044, researchers predict there will be no remaining veterans of a war that reshaped the global balance of power."

Robert Heiss, a centenarian at the Veterans Home of California in Yountville, spends afternoons playing cribbage and reading murder mysteries, yet retains heavy wartime memories. Heiss was woken on Dec. 7, 1941, when Pearl Harbor was bombed, prompting U.S. entry into World War II and deep fear on the West Coast. The National WWII Museum estimates about 45,518 U.S. WWII veterans remain, with California home to roughly 10,703 survivors. Projections indicate a steep decline to around 5,000 by 2030 and no living veterans by 2044, prompting urgent preservation and commemoration efforts.

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