Last Sunday, May 26, from 2-5 p.m., around 50 friends and family members gathered at Sadler Community Center to celebrate Weldon McClane’s 100th birthday.
Born in Gainesville on May 24, 1924, McClane was raised in Sadler. He lived directly behind the elementary school, and his family was among the first to sound the alarm when the school caught fire in February of 1939. Though the school did burn to the ground, it was quickly rebuilt – with McClane’s help, as he carried bricks to the brick mason.
He was in the 10th grade when Japan bombed Pearl Harbor. Motivated to join the military, he dropped out of school, only to learn he was too young to join the Navy or the Army. He worked at an airplane factory making B-24s that would transport cargo, supplies and soldiers. When he finally turned 18, he joined the United States Army.
He came home on his first leave to marry his high school sweetheart, June Cooper, before being shipped out to the front lines in Europe. During the war in 1942, he was headed on a boat to the beaches of Normandy. While they were scheduled to arrive on D-Day, the boat broke down, and didn’t arrive until D-2.
Upon arrival, McClane waded through the dead to shore while hearing bombs being dropped a short distance away. McClane ultimately went on to liberate a concentration camp in Germany and earned multiple war medals, including the Purple Heart after being shot in one leg and receiving bomb shrapnel in the other. McClane returned home where he immediately got a job at GCEC as an electrician.
“It was perfect, because he didn’t need a high school diploma,” Jessie Shipley, McClane’s granddaughter and full-time caregiver, said.
But after years of McClane making offhanded comments about never having earned his high school diploma, Shipley gathered the necessary paperwork and set the wheels in motion. McClane finally graduated from S&S High School in 2022 on his 98th birthday. Then-principal Scott Johnston recognized McClane as “the first graduate of the S&S Class of 2022.”
In addition to being a war hero and earning his high school diploma at 98 years old, McClane has also become quite the TikTok sensation. He has over 300,000 followers on the social media channel.
“I started making these videos just to share with family,” Shipley said, “but they were just so hilarious. He’s a real prankster. These videos really took off – one of our most recent ones had over a million views!”
It was these TikTok videos that caught the attention of Dream Flights, a nonprofit organization that honors military veterans and seniors with the opportunity of a lifetime: a flight in a Boeing Stearman WWII biplane. They reached out to Shipley to ask if McClane would be interested.
“I was so excited!” McClane said.
McClane’s social media fame also helped foster another connection. A Normandy tour guide by the name of Pierre reached out to Shipley, asking for an interview with McClane. Pierre was a member of WWII re-enactment group and had been portraying McClane in his re-enactments. Pierre wanted to learn more about the man he was emulating.
Through FaceTime, the two men have become friends. This summer, Pierre’s group is performing a big re-enactment in Germany at which they will be dedicating a statue to McClane. While he won’t make the trip himself, Shipley and her mother will go on his behalf.
At 100 years old, McClane is sharp as a tack, lives independently and is completely mobile (his driver’s license just expired on his birthday). He has four children (all of whom graduated from Sadler High School), seven grandchildren, a “slew” of great-grandchildren and one great-great-grandson. Nearly all were in attendance for the birthday celebration.
“His family is completely dedicated to ensuring that he lives his life the way he wants,” Shipley said. “We’re all here to support and love him.”
When asked the secret to a long and happy life, McClane cast a cautious eye to Shipley, who encouraged him to answer.
“Moonshine,” he said. “A little glassful twice a day.”
While a little moonshine probably doesn’t hurt, it would seem an active lifestyle, the love of a supportive family and a lifetime of incredible memories go a long way, as well.
To keep up with McClane’s life adventures, follow him on TikTok by searching #weldon.
