MARINE CORPS BASE HAWAII, KANEOHE BAY, Hawaii -- Imagine living through an entire century, seeing two world wars, numerous international conflicts and the transformation to modern day conveniences.
Retired Army/Air Force Colonel William "Frank" Steer has lived through all of these occurrences and much more.
In celebration of his 102nd birthday, Steer received an honorary promotion to Provost Marshal General of the Army and Air Force, and was hailed by a variety of guests including Brig. Gen. Jerry C. McAbee, commanding general, MCB Hawaii, who hosted the event; Major Gen. Eric Olson, commanding general, United States Army Hawaii; Rep. Guy Ontai, R-Mililani/Waipio, representing Governor Linda Lingle; and the former Mrs. Hawaii 2002, as well as many others, during a birthday party held at the Officers' Club Jan. 12.
"I think it's great; this promotion was long overdue," said Retired Army Criminal Investigative Division John Fitzpatrick, who traveled all the way from Dixon, Calif. " I came this far because I admire Frank Steer for being the soldier that he is. He was true and honest. All those who served with him will remember him forever."
Steer enlisted in the Army at the age of 17 and deployed to France during World War I. During that time, he saw combat action in St. Mihiel Forges and Meus Argonne, and was recently awarded the French Legion of Honor for his participation.
In 1920, the governor of Oklahoma appointed Steer to West Point.
After duty in the Philippines during the 1930s, Steer was assigned to Hawaii as the Provost Marshal for the Hawaiian Department. Following the fateful Dec. 7, 1941, he became the martial law provost marshal. Later, he was appointed Mid-Pacific Provost Marshal and was responsible for thousands of prisoners of war.
Steer left the Army in 1947 to become a member of the Air Force, which by then had become a separate branch of the military. He was appointed as the first provost marshal of the entire Air Force and retired from the service in 1949.
Steer now lives in Kailua, Hawaii, on the island of Oahu, and at 102 years old is the sole surviving member of the West Point Class of 1925, the oldest living graduate of West Point, and one of the few remaining World War I veterans.
After the honorary promotion ceremony, Brig. Gen. McAbee presented Steer with orders making him an honorary MCB Hawaii policeman.
"This was a great day for the U.S. Army, MCB Hawaii, and the State of Hawaii," said Brig. Gen. McAbee. "It was a privilege to honor and recognize an American patriot par excellence."
Ending the call to arms, Maj. Gen. Olsen presented Steer with a black beret, representing the "Army of One" transformation and his place in that history.
By proclamation, Rep. Ontai announced that Jan. 12 was officially "General Frank Steer Day."
"This is the greatest thing that could happen to anyone," said Steer.
The West Point Society of Hawaii closed the event with a cake cutting ceremony, and former Mrs. Hawaii presented him with a lei and kiss.
"Today was climactical; it is an unexpected honor for him," said Don Devaney, unofficial aide-de -camp to Steer. "You can see on his face how proud he is today. I feel he can spend the rest of his days feeling fulfilled, knowing how much he has done for his country."