In Davenport, Iowa, Vincent Martinez, a remarkable 99-year-old World War II veteran, still brings his culinary prowess to life, a skillset he developed during his Navy service decades ago.

Even now, Martinez dedicates his time each week to cooking for others, a passion ignited during his youthful days in the Navy. At just 17, he found himself washing pots and pans for the ship’s chefs, quickly demonstrating the initiative that would soon see him rising to the role of cook.

“I learned to make food for people,” Martinez reminisces, underscoring the commitment to cooking that has defined much of his life.

However, his military tenure was cut short by a severe car accident that left him hospitalized for 11 months. Undeterred, Martinez continued to nurture his love for the culinary arts.

Nowadays, he crafts homemade dishes such as salsa and bread pudding, using ingredients from his own garden and the QC Veteran Outreach Center. He generously shares these delights with others at the outreach center, embodying the spirit of community and service.

Martinez’s bread pudding, which includes rum, has become a favorite among those at the center, even winning over those who initially claimed not to like it.

His contributions bring laughter, good meals, and companionship to the community, embodying the spirit of generosity and service he learned during his time in the Navy.

All facts in this report were gathered by journalists employed by Nexstar. Artificial intelligence tools were used to reformat from a broadcast script into a news article for our website. This report was edited and fact-checked by Nexstar staff before being published