98-year-old World War II and Korean War veteran…
This vet went viral.
A 98-year-old World War II and Korean War veteran has develop into a social media star, with followers around the world saluting him for his service — thanks to a 26-year-old neighbor.
Ross Longo, of Lake Placid, Fla., has lived next door to Sevastian Munguia-Barajas and his mother and father for over 20 years, and since he doesn’t have any kin close by, they welcomed him into their household.
“They adopted me, and I adopted them,” Longo told The Post.
World War II and Korean War veteran Ross Longo and Sevastian Munguia-Barajas contemplate each other household. your98yearoldvet/Instagram
“I consider him my grandpa, honestly,” added Munguia-Barajas, whose household moved Longo into their home last month.
The friendship went viral last yr when Munguia-Barajas launched the TikTok and Instagram account @your98yearoldvet to doc and share their on a regular basis adventures.
“One day I recorded our normal day, which was, I went over there, we went to go get breakfast and I took him to the grocery store. I think that video had like a million views overnight,” he recalled.
The “Ross the Vet” web page is now stuffed with clips of all the pieces from Longo giving life advice to journeys to Taco Bell, Wendy’s and Chick-fil-A, to the pair spending holidays together and paying it ahead by serving to other veterans in need.
They’ve introduced a birthday cake over to a Vietnam vet who lives alone and is battling cancer and donated Longo’s used recliners and a scooter to other veterans in Highlands County, which they and around 15,000 vets call home.
“Today, I paid for someone’s breakfast who was a veteran. I do that often, just to show appreciation to them because a lot of these guys get walked past,” said Munguia-Barajas, who was awarded a Good Neighbor Grant for his altruistic work by the nonprofit Fosters Outriders.
A son of Italian immigrants, Longo, who was born in Connecticut and raised in St. Louis, Mo., signed up for the Navy in 1943 at just 15, although the minimal age to enlist was 17. That’s because he lied about his age, which was common at the time.
“And they never asked no questions; they took me,” he said. “I went and took the physical, passed it.”
Longo selected that department, where he served for six-and-a-half years, because of his older brother.
“My brother and I were real close. He joined the Navy when he was 17 … And I told my mom that I’m gonna go with him, which never happened, but I did get to see him though at boot camp,” he said.
Longo enlisted in the Navy in 1943 at age 15. your98yearoldvet/Instagram
He was deployed to Europe during World War II and to Korea during the Korean War.
His worst injury was in Korea when he ran off a touchdown craft and unknowingly jumped into a bomb crater on the seaside.
“He laid back on the sand and then he got stampeded. He got knocked out and when he woke up, he was in a helicopter getting put on a boat that had a hospital and he ended up breaking eight of his ribs,” Munguia-Barajas said.
Longo said his worst injury occurred in Korea. Courtesy of Sevastian Mungula
After leaving the Navy, Longo moved back in with his mother and father in St. Louis, and went on to work as a truck driver, a carpenter and even a nation singer.
“Someone was looking for a singer, and his brother encouraged him to go audition,” Munguia-Barajas explained.
“At the time, the only song he knew was ‘Your Cheatin’ Heart’ by Hank Williams … Ross started singing, and before he could even finish the song, the woman stopped him and told him he had the job. The position paid $340 a week, which was more than three times what he had been making driving a dump truck.”
Longo, who was married and divorced twice, collects a pension and Social Security verify, but Munguia-Barajas, who manages Longo’s funds, said what he’s taking in just isn’t enough to cowl all his wants.
After the service, Longo turned a nation singer. Courtesy of Sevastian Mungula
Fans began asking how they might ship donations to assist him, so he created a GoFundMe web page for Longo, which has already raised over $31,000 to cowl issues such as his in-home caregivers and groceries.
The beloved vet is also getting fan mail from as far as Australia and Hawaii — and his favourite manufacturers, like Omaha Steaks, Crocs, Stouffer’s and Gatorade, have also despatched him presents.
“Every week, we go to the mailbox and he loves seeing what people sent him … he’s getting mail from all over the world, honestly. It shocks him,” said Munguia-Barajas.
“They thank me for my service and that I’m up in age and how blessed I am, whatever,” added Longo.
The nonagenarian said he didn’t know what the key to his longevity was. your98yearoldvet/Instagram
When requested the key to his longevity, Longo, who doesn’t take any drugs, said: “I have no idea what’s keeping me alive.”
“Spinach. He eats a lot of spinach,” added Munguia-Barajas.
“And he used to have a beer a day.”
“I drank a beer every day until the last six months,” added Longo.
The pair might be celebrating Veterans Day together over a meal and one of Longo’s favourite beers — either Miller Lite or Modelo.
For Longo, the vacation is a reminder of the service that has remained close to his coronary heart for more than eight a long time.
“It’s an honor that I served. It means something to me deep down in my heart … I love my country very much,” he said.
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