A little more than a month ago, the invasion of Normandy — otherwise known as D-Day — was observed by multiple world leaders in Europe. But while those leaders reflected on the history they have read, Clemens Deken of Poplar Bluff is able to remember helping prepare equipment for that day.
Dekens will turn 103 on July 25 but his family and friends didn’t want to wait that long to help him celebrate.
Leann Jones-Tompkins, owner and manager of Southern Care & Comfort, said Deken has been a client of her business for a few years and she was excited to use the Southern Care & Comfort facilities to host the event.
“We started providing services for him five years ago,” she explained. “When we learned about his age, we wanted to help him celebrate, and we have helped him celebrate every year since.”
Deken was a mechanic in the U.S. Army and was stationed in Europe during his involvement in WWII. He not only helped prepare equipment for use in the invasion of Normandy, he also went into Germany later as a part of his assignment.
His children, Monie Wilkerson and Felix Deken, were on hand to help Clemens celebrate — as were member of the local Vietnam Veterans of America (VVA) Poplar Bluff chapter. The VVA presented Clemens with a birthday card and a proclamation declaring him as an honorary lifetime member of the VVA, followed by a birthday salute.
“No one knows when will be their last birthday, so we thought with this being right after the Fourth of July that we should just go ahead and have this celebration,” Jones-Tompkins explained. “We think the world of Mr. Deken.”