Charles Sexton understands he was fortunate to survive World War II.
The man turning 100 years old today received a Purple Heart after he was shot in his right leg. He called serving during WWII “a nice experience.”
He glanced at his shadowbox that contains his medals, and said, “It’s not something I would want to do again. One time was enough.”
Sexton lives at Spring Hills Senior Communities in Middletown, and despite his hearing difficulties and “a few aches and pains,” he’s fairly healthy.
When asked how he felt, he smiled and said: “I feels like 100. I didn’t think I’d make it.”
Sexton graduated from Middletown High School in 1938, worked at Armco, then served in the U.S. Army from 1943-45. He returned to Middletown and owned D&S Market on Yankee Road with his uncle, Jack Deaton, then worked again at Armco, from which he retired.
While at MHS, Sexton set two track records that stood for years. He held the school record for the half-mile (2:04) for 13 years and the school record for the mile (4:39) for 25 years. He was inducted into the MHS Athletic Hall of Fame in 2016 and at 96 years old making him the oldest member.
He also holds another distinction: He’s one of the few 100-year-olds with an older sister. His sister, Nola McQuinn, 102, lives in South Carolina.
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