MEXICO, N.Y. – The village of Mexico said happy 100th birthday on May 27, 2023 to Laurence “Sparky” Rector, a World War II veteran who fought with the Oklahoma National Guard’s 45th Infantry Division.
One hundred people gathered at Mexico’s VFW Post 369 to celebrate his military service and his life at home over the Memorial Day weekend.
Rector, who turned 100 on Memorial Day, also served as the grand marshal of Mexico’s Memorial Day Parade.
Rector, who was born in this Oswego County village in 1923, joined the Army in 1942 and was assigned to the 45th Infantry Division, which originally trained at Pine Camp—now called Fort Drum-- outside Watertown, New York.
The 45th Division, made up of National Guard units...
05.30.2023 | MEXICO , NY, US |
Story by Staff Sgt. Matthew Gunther
