‘Love will overcome all kinds of obstacles:’ 102-year-old survives war to live life of service

Adam explains why a veteran’s greatest weapon has always been love.

If you look at the earliest pictures from George Brewster’s past, hung on the 102-year-old’s wall, you will see black-and-white photos of a caring kid who helped animals in distress and loved dancing in the kitchen with his mom and sister.

“They were dancing to the music,” George smiles while recalling how they moved beyond the steps they taught him. “It was wonderful.”

But with others, George could be shy.

“I stammered and stuttered. I blushed,” George admits. “I hated to get up and even say my name.”

And because of that, George was bullied.

“I was attacked in my own yard,” George says.

It inspired George to fight for what’s right, and when the Second World War began, the teenager enlisted in the air force before he was even eligible.

“I wasn’t brave,” George says before pointing to photos of him in uniform and posing in front of his combat plane. “I just hate injustice.”

George earned his ‘wings’, faced fire in the skies flying over Europe, and witnessed the worst atrocities the allies were fighting against.

“I saw the (concentration) camps,” George says. “I was then glad that I had been one of the ones to help put a stop to it, in my own small way.”

While George was grateful to return home alive, he vowed to never stop fighting for others.

“A life of service is the only life worth living,” George says.

Not only did George spend decades serving with countless community groups, he worked to overcome his struggles with speaking, and still regularly recites words of remembrance at public events.

“In Flanders fields the poppies grow,” George begins reciting the entire poem from memory. He also recalls all sorts of details about world history and his own past, which he wrote about in his memoir ‘A Joyful Survivor.’

“It feels like I’m still thankful to be on this earth,” George smiles. “And to be able to help others along the way.”

The 102-year-old is also grateful to attend weekly dances, where he demonstrates the steps he first learned from mom and sister, who also taught him the most powerful weapon against injustice is love.

“Love will overcome all kinds of obstacles,” George smiles.