CHAMPAIGN COUNTY, Ill. (WCIA) — Friday was the 81st anniversary of D-Day, and in Central Illinois, WCIA is celebrating a veteran who helped with the Normandy operation in June 1944.

Now, Harvey Hodges is preparing for another milestone in his life.

81 years ago, he was helping troops on Utah Beach in Normandy, France, but then, there was a day that changed his role in the service forever.
“While I was there, there was an accident,” Hodges said. “A situation, I’ll call it, in which I don’t know anything about, because I was at an explosion, I was told, and I had a mild concussion. No bodily injuries, just don’t remember anything.”
D-Day was around the time of his 19th birthday, and luckily, he found another way to help in the war, after a sergeant heard Hodges was musically inclined.
“And I played a few tunes that I could remember,” he said. “And, he said, ‘Can you read music?’ And I said, ‘Yes, I can read music.’ And he said, ‘You’ll do.’ And I’ll never forget that.”

It’s a time that’s now a distant memory. And for Hodges, perseverance is a common theme.
He recently broke his femur but he’s not letting that stop him from celebrating his 100th birthday.

“I am going to be there. I’m in a wheelchair right now for, I guess, broken leg.  But it’s going to be well in time. We’re counting on it,” Hodges said.
Through all Hodges achievements he’s most proud of his daughter and all the people he’s met along the way, like the students he taught to play music.
“So that’s good that you were able to help people do what they really had the talent and  wanted to do,” Hodges said.
He hopes to see some of the faces from his past at his upcoming celebration.

Hodges’ 100th birthday party will be June 28^th, from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. in the at the Windsor in Savoy. His family said they are looking forward to seeing all of the people who have been a part of his life.