WWII Vet Joe Safford Turns 100, Decatur Celebrates Saturday

When Joe Safford was drafted into the U.S. Army in 1944, he was just 18 years old and headed to a segregated unit in war-torn Germany. This Saturday, the Decatur community will gather to celebrate his 100th birthday because his story of service never really ended.

Born in Berlin, Alabama in 1926, Safford's military service took him across an ocean during one of history's darkest hours. He worked as a cook, moved supplies, and helped rebuild communities shattered by war.

His fellow soldiers still remembered one thing decades later: his famous sweet bread. Safford's grandmother taught him to bake as a young boy in Alabama, and that simple skill brought comfort to men far from home.

After returning from the war, Safford built a life rooted in the same values he carried overseas. He raised two sons who both followed him into Army service, creating a family legacy of dedication that now spans three generations.

Today, Safford remains an active member of Saint Philip AME Church in Decatur. His four grandchildren, one granddaughter, and three great-grandsons keep him busy and connected to a world vastly different from the one he entered at 18.

Sunny's Take

What makes Mr. Safford's story special isn't just his age or his military service. It's that he represents something we need to see more of: a life dedicated to showing up for others, whether that meant feeding hungry soldiers in Germany or being a steady presence in his Decatur neighborhood for decades.

His friends call him a community hero, and they're hosting Saturday's celebration from noon to 2 p.m. at 4403 Sebring Walk. Organizers say the drive-by party is a chance for neighbors to thank a man who represents a generation that sacrificed everything for the freedoms we sometimes take for granted.

The invitation is open to anyone who wants to honor someone who understands that service isn't just what you do in uniform, it's how you live every day after you take it off.

A century of life means witnessing incredible change, but some things like kindness, service, and sweet bread made with love never go out of style.