World War II veteran celebrates 99th birthday at Greenbrier

Jun. 17—One of the best parts about living for Rex Campbell is being surrounded by people.

Campbell never had seen so many people show up for his birthday as he saw Thursday morning, June 17, 2021, for his 99th celebration.

The World War II veteran was surrounded by more than 100 people, including family members, friends, Greenbrier Village residents and staff, first responders, Mayor George Pankonin and other members of the Enid community who were there to wish him a happy birthday and celebrate.

"I feel good. I don't feel any different than when I was 88," Campbell said with a laugh about turning 99. "There was a lot of people here."

Campbell is a 2012 Navy Legacy Veteran of the Year recipient and has been a resident at Greenbrier and Burgundy Place for about 16 years combined.

The U.S. Navy Memorial reached out to Greenbrier about two weeks ago regarding Campbell's birthday, and soon after the two agencies, along with Woodring Wall of Honor and Veterans Park, began to plan the celebration, said Mike Weatherford, marketing coordinator and family guide at Greenbrier.

After that, it just kept growing, with members of the Enid Police Department, Enid Fire Department and Oklahoma Highway Patrol, bikers, other veterans, members of the military and more showing up.

"We have a number of very special guests and dignitaries here. Obviously, Rex, you're one of them," Weatherford said.

Campbell was born at his family farm near Breckinridge in 1922 and joined the Navy in 1942 after he heard about the attack on Pearl Harbor, according to a News & Eagle article from 2014.

Early in the morning on Oct. 25, 1944, Campbell's ship, the U.S.S. Gambier Bay, was sunk by Japanese surface fire during the Battle of Leyte Gulf.

Campbell was battling fires near the ship's stern when he heard the call to abandon ship, so he dropped into the water and swam away from the capsized ship to a floater net designed to keep sailors afloat, joining about 16 or 18 men on the floater and in a life raft full of wounded men.

The men were in the ocean for about 46 hours with no fresh water or food. A Japanese ship sailed by at one point, and sharks swam nearby for a while until the men made noises to scare them away.

The sun beat down on them for nearly two days, and a few men swam off due to delusion and were lost. The remaining men were rescued by an American PT boat about 30 miles away from where the Gambier Bay went down.

Nearly 800 of Gambier Bay's crew survived and shared in a Presidential Unit Citation and four battle stars. More than 130 crew members were lost.

After being discharged in 1946, Campbell returned to Northwest Oklahoma and farmed around Pond Creek and Hunter until his retirement in 1995.

Weatherford said Campbell had contracted COVID-19 in the past year and thought "that would be it," but Campbell survived.

"He battled it through just like he battled when he got into the water," Weatherford said. "He's incredible."

Pankonin, upon looking at the crowd in attendance, said Enid was the "most patriotic place in America," citing the Veterans Memorial Bridge and flags the Rotary Club of Enid recently put up downtown.

Pankonin, a veteran himself, proclaimed June 17, 2021, as Rex Campbell Day and thanked him for his service, presenting him with a coin from the city of Enid afterward.

"To us, a coin is — you don't pay anything for it, and some would say that makes it worthless," Pankonin said. "Those of us that have served know that (the coin is) really priceless."

A trio of musicians played music throughout the service, and after they stopped the first time, Campbell told Jeanice Manning, event coordinator and family guide specialist at Burgundy Place, he wanted to dance.

The second time the trio played, Manning went up to Campbell and danced with him.

"I'm so glad Jeanice got him up to dance because he used to love to go dancing," Weatherford said.

Some of Campbell's nephews, Ted, Stan and Bruce Campbell, said their uncle is a friendly, outgoing and likable person with tons of stories to tell.

"When you're here with him (at Greenbrier), he goes down the halls, and he's badgering everybody, and everybody is messing with him," Ted Campbell said.

"He's a people-person," Stan Campbell added.

With the crowd singing "Happy Birthday" to him, letters from Sen. James Lankford and Gov. Kevin Stitt and birthday gifts from the Woodring Wall of Honor, Blue Star Mothers and Flagpoles Honoring Our Veterans, Campbell said he was amazed.

"Things like this ... Who would have ever thought," he said.

Kelci McKendrick is police and court reporter for the Enid News & Eagle.

Have a question about this story? Do you see something we missed? Do you have a story idea for Kelci? Send an email to kelcim@enidnews.com.