{"id":711147,"date":"2025-11-14T18:30:00","date_gmt":"2025-11-14T19:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/?p=711147"},"modified":"2025-11-14T20:11:51","modified_gmt":"2025-11-14T20:11:51","slug":"navy-veteran-celebrates-his-101st-birthday","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/?p=711147","title":{"rendered":"Navy Veteran celebrates his 101st birthday"},"content":{"rendered":"

Earlier this year, Spokane\u2019s Mann-Grandstaff VA Medical Center<\/a> hosted a birthday celebration more than a century in the making. The guest of honor: retired Navy Capt. Francis \u201cFrank\u201d Fogarty, a 101-year-old Veteran of World War II, Korea and Vietnam.<\/p>\n

A year prior, illness had prevented his 100th birthday party. This spring, however, VA staff, family and fellow service members ensured the milestone was marked with a celebration no one would forget. The event began with a surprise welcome on the hospital\u2019s electronic sign: \u201cHappy BDay Capt. Fog.\u201d Family flew in from across the country as Fogarty, a Montana native born in 1924, quickly realized the day\u2019s excitement was for him.<\/p>\n

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<\/a>
For his birthday, 101yr old Distinguished US Navy Veteran, Captain Frank Fogarty and more than 20 of his family members received a heart-warming and memorable processional through the hospital and across the campus of Mann-Grandstaff VA Medical Center in Spokane WA, April 2025. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

Fogarty\u2019s career was nothing short of extraordinary. After graduating from the Montana School of Mines in 1943, he enlisted in the Navy at 19. Recognizing his potential, the Navy sent him to the U.S. Naval Academy, where summers aboard battleships like the USS Iowa shaped his sea legs. He would go on to play a pivotal role in developing nuclear power for U.S. warships and America\u2019s commercial industry, ultimately commanding submarines, including the USS Nautilus, the Navy\u2019s first nuclear-powered submarine. Over four decades, Fogarty served through three wars and later led at the Idaho National Laboratory while raising 10 children with his wife, Dorothy.<\/p>\n

The birthday event featured a once-in-a-lifetime moment: a visit from former Navy SEAL Lt. Thomas Norris, Medal of Honor recipient from the Vietnam War. Norris entered quietly, saluted and clasped Fogarty\u2019s hands. The room stilled as the two shared unspoken memories only combat Veterans could understand. Norris presented Fogarty with a Navy \u201cchallenge coin\u201d before revealing his Medal of Honor. It was the first time Fogarty held one in his hands.<\/p>\n

The celebration continued with recognition from VA leadership. VA Secretary Doug Collins sent a personal letter and coin through VA\u2019s Centenarian program. Spokane VA staff joined in, including fellow Navy Veteran Taylor Wilkening, who had escorted Fogarty during his visits and helped coordinate the day\u2019s events. Dr. John Givens, Navy Capt. (Ret.) and VA nurse anesthetist, donned his dress uniform to explain the history of the \u201ccoining ceremony\u201d to Fogarty\u2019s family.<\/p>\n

From there, the hospital came alive. Nearly two dozen family members and hundreds of VA staff and patients lined hallways waving flags, cheering and offering birthday wishes. The procession paused as Veterans from the American Legion Riders saluted and presented another coin, adding to the honors of the day. Finally, Red Cross volunteers unveiled a Navy-themed cake, closing the celebration with smiles, photos and heartfelt words.<\/p>\n

Honoring a legend<\/h2>\n
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\"A<\/a>
Retired Navy Capt. Francis \u201cFrank\u201d Fogarty, a 101-year-old Veteran of World War II, Korea, and Vietnam smiles alongside friends and VA staff at his birthday party at the Spokane VA medical center. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

During the program, Spokane VA leaders highlighted Fogarty\u2019s remarkable service record and contributions to nuclear power. Great-grandchildren listened as they heard about his decades of leadership and innovation. When given the microphone, Fogarty simply said, \u201cI can\u2019t believe you\u2019re doing all this\u2026 for me.\u201d<\/p>\n

His advice at 101 years old was equally humble: \u201cBe inquisitive and look deeper to understand things.\u201d<\/p>\n

As the party wound down, Fogarty revealed his favorite gift of the day\u2014a challenge coin from Norris, tucked alongside his Naval Academy class ring. For a man who had given so much to his country, the simple gesture carried priceless meaning.<\/p>\n

For Spokane VA, the celebration reflected more than a birthday. It was a living reminder of why Veterans and their families deserve honor, recognition and connection. For Fogarty and those who witnessed it, the day was unforgettable\u2014a moment of pride, patriotism and gratitude for an American hero.<\/p>\n

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This article was originally published on the VA Spokane Health care System site<\/a> and has been edited for style and clarity.\u202f<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Earlier this year, Spokane\u2019s Mann-Grandstaff VA Medical Center hosted a birthday celebration more than a century in the making. The guest of honor: retired Navy Capt. Francis \u201cFrank\u201d Fogarty, a 101-year-old Veteran of World War II, Korea and Vietnam. A year prior, illness had prevented his 100th birthday party. This spring, however, VA staff, family […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":711149,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5,111,1289],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-711147","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-health","category-navy","category-visn-20"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/711147","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/8"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=711147"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/711147\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":711161,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/711147\/revisions\/711161"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/711149"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=711147"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=711147"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=711147"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}