101-year Army veteran to be honored as Bend Veterans Day parade grand marshal

World War II and Korean War veteran Joseph Sharpe, now 101 years old, made a career out of his military service. Sharpe spent 28 years as a stevedore, military policeman and honor guard member in the U.S. Army. He served in multiple theaters in both Europe and Asia from 1943 through 1971. Only about one-in-five service members remain enlisted for at least 20 years — enough to reach full retirement and earn a lifetime military pension. He retired as a sergeant major. On Wednesday, Sharpe will be honored as the grand marshal of the Bend Veterans Day Parade. “It was quite an honor, and I am appreciative of it very much,” Sharpe said. Sharpe said that being drafted into the military was the best thing that could have happened to him. It gave him a purpose and a career. “The military drafted me, brought me in, fed me, clothed me, retired me with benefits for the rest of my life,” Sharpe said. “My wife and I have medical benefits for the rest of my life.

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