Community celebrates local World War II veteran's 100th birthday

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- It was a special ceremony celebrating and honoring a local World War II Veteran, Dorothy Jones.

She was one of the first women in the Navy's WAVES division, or Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Services.

The ceremony was right outside her home in Central Fresno with everyone socially distant and masked.

City Councilman Esmerelda Soria was presented with a City Proclamation plus neighbors brought cards, flags and even a fire truck showed up.

"I have been the luckiest girl, woman, person," she said. "I've had excellent health, I've married well one time. Had four great kids. Now, I'm in a wonderful neighborhood and I have been for 60 years - right here on Yale Avenue, and I can't imagine a better way to reaching the age I am. I'm wishing everybody can have part of that good luck and good fortune."

Jones was in the Navy from October of 1942 to the end of the war om 1945.

While 16 million U.S. Veterans served during World War II, there were only 350,000 women.

She said she will spend the rest of her birthday eating and talking to friends and family.