Centenarian John Mazzella has his sights set on living to at least 110 years old
Credit: KOAA 5/Youtube
NEED TO KNOW
- Colorado resident John Mazzella, a 100-year-old veteran who fought in three wars, shared his secret to a long life
- The centenarian has his sights set on living to 110 years old
- “I’m an optimistic individual, in spite of losing my wife [over a decade ago] after 63 years of marriage,” Mazzella said
A Colorado man who just turned 100 — and fought in three wars — is sharing his secret to a long life.
Master Sergeant John Mazzella, of Colorado Springs, was a member of the Air Force for 30 years, serving in WWII, the Korean War and the Vietnam War, according to local news outlet KOAA News 5.
After retiring from Peterson Air Force Base, Mazzella took on a new challenge: running marathons, including three runs up the famous Pikes Peak, a 14,115-foot mountain in Colorado Springs.
Mazzella said his secret to his longevity is his active lifestyle, as he still goes for regular walks and lifts weights.
“Back in ’96, ’97, I told everybody I was going for 110 [years old]. So this has just gone through 100 like it wasn't even there. I am going for 110,” he told the outlet.
Tenacity is a defining characteristic for Mazella.
In a 2023 interview with the outlet Stars and Stripes, Mazella, who originally hailed from West Virginia, shared that he desperately wanted to serve as a weather observer, which is someone who analyzes and reports weather conditions prior to military operations.
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However, Mazella said that the minimum IQ requirement for the job was 110 — and he had an IQ of 108.
"I said, 'Sergeant, my IQ is only 108, but I want very, very much to get into the Army Air Force,' " Mazzella recalled, adding, “The sergeant said, 'Well, they do need you …’ "
Mazzella ultimately served as a weather observer in Berlin for several decades, where he married a local woman. He and his wife had a daughter and eventually relocated back to the United States, per the outlet.
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His wife died over a decade ago, but he remains positive about life.
"I'm an optimistic individual, in spite of losing my wife after 63 years of marriage. I'm still positive about life. Optimistic and positive," Mazzella told Stars and Stripes at the time.
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