South Ogden man turns 100, cites his walking routine, family support
-
- Minoru Hamada of South Ogden celebrates his 100th birthday on Friday, March 10, 2023, at the Riverdale Senior Center, where he’s a regular.
-
- Minoru Hamada of South Ogden celebrates his 100th birthday on Friday, March 10, 2023, at the Riverdale Senior Center, where he’s a regular.
RIVERDALE — You don’t reach the age of 100 by magic.
Keeping in shape helps, and that’s what Minoru Hamada thinks helped him reach the milestone on Friday.
“Six days a week, I go (to Newgate Mall) and walk,” he said at a birthday party to mark the day at the Riverdale Senior Center. “I’m getting slower and slower, but I figure I got to keep moving.”
Friends, family, acquaintances, community leaders and others gathered to help Hamada celebrate. Riverdale Mayor Braden Mitchell showed up, along with a contingent of Riverdale firefighters and police and a regional rep from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Angela Williams.
Hamada — a U.S. Army veteran who earned the Purple Heart while serving in World War II — seemed to enjoy it but was also a bit overwhelmed. U.S. Rep. Blake Moore even sent a video message, lauding Hamada’s military service and congratulating him for reaching the century mark.
“I’m not an official or anything. I’m just a regular guy,” Hamada said. He grew up in the Ogden area, now lives in South Ogden and regularly attends activities at the Riverdale Senior Center.
Mitchell, at least, wasn’t buying it. “We all know he’s not just a regular guy,” he joked.
Hamada, born in Utah to immigrants from Japan, served during World War II in the 442 Regimental Combat Team, made up of U.S.-born recruits of Japanese descent. “He was born and raised here and he was a proud American so he served,” said Hamada’s son Lynard Hamada, on hand Friday with his wife, Frances Hamada.
While Hamada wasn’t placed in a Japanese internment camp, Moore noted that many in his Army regiment were, and the U.S. lawmaker lauded them for fighting abroad against totalitarianism and — through their service — racial prejudice here at home. Hamada served in Italy and received the Purple Heart for an injury while serving in the Po Valley there.
Hamada, for his part, steered clear of politics, instead focusing on the things that have brought him this far — regular exercise and the care and support he gets from his son and daughter-in-law, who live in Washington Terrace. His wife, Martha, died in 2007 while he has another son in California plus grandkids and great-grandkids.
His walking routine for the past 40 years is part of his longevity “and the care my family gives me,” he said. In civilian life, Hamada made dental prosthetics at Hill Air Force Base before retiring.
Lynard Hamada threw in another factor that may figure in his dad’s longevity — his life outlook. “He’s always willing to help others. He’s a very positive person,” the younger Hamada said.
Looking ahead, Hamada the centenarian doesn’t figure he’s going to change much. He seems to have a pretty good thing going.
“I guess I’m just going to live on like I do,” Hamada said. “I’m going to keep walking, keep moving.”