TAYLOR, Texas — Archie Moczygemba has no regrets.
On July 4, 2024, he turned 100 years old. On that day, he was showered with love and gratitude – love from his family and friends, and gratitude from people who wanted to thank the man who gave part of his life to his country during World War II.
"I was stationed on [a] little island directly south of Pearl Harbor," Moczygemba recalled.
His grandson said Moczygemba's memory is as sharp as a knife.
Moczygemba was among the first U.S. Marines to enter Nagasaki after the atomic bomb in 1945. Recently, Williamson County honored the local veteran with a proclamation, making July 2 "Archie Moczygemba Day."
To his grandson, he's a hero and a person who shaped his life in more ways than one.
"I remember his words all the time. Things that he taught me as a kid and life advice he would give us," Jonathan Moczygemba said. "We love him. He's amazing."
Brandon Darr has his own special connection to Archie Moczygemba. The World War II veteran is his grandfather's first cousin, and currently, he's living in the house where the veteran was born in.
"The house was built in 1880 by Archie's grandfather, Frank Moczygemba, and it's been passed down generation by generation all the way to me," Darr said.
According to Darr, every time Archie Moczygemba comes by, he can remember all the details from when he was a child, all the way down to which trees have been replaced. It's a generational tie he hopes to keep in place for as long as he can.
"Despite everything in his life that he's been through, he's still just as happy as can be and seems grateful for the years that he's had. So it's been a blessing to know him and to touch base with him," Darr said.
Archie Moczygemba said he's lucky enough to have crossed paths with so many people, and seeing them show up during yet another milestone of his is proof of the plans he believes were set for him.
"You don't plan your life, it's planned for you," Archie Moczygemba said. "I'm very fortunate to be this old. And I'm wondering, in my mind, 'Am I being punished by being here for so long or am I being rewarded?'"