MALIBU, Calif. — A little bit of clapping and kicking to the rhythm of old patriotic melodies — this is what our local World War II veterans have been enjoying in honor of the recent 75-year commemoration of the war’s ending.

Rebecca Carpenter has gathered volunteers around Southern California to make home visits for veterans in the area. The group surprised them with songs and dances from the 1940s. 

With many of the vets nearing 100 years old, Carpenter believes it's important to make them feel appreciated, especially as the COVID pandemic continues to threaten the safety of the elderly.

“I just really believe in honoring the older generation. So anyone that is older than me, I have a lot of respect for because they’ve lived life, they’ve gone through things that we haven’t experienced,” she explained.

Those experiences from the 1940s, she says, carry important lessons for today’s generation.

Jim Shirk anxiously and proudly joined the military at the age of 17. He is now 93 years old and is one of 300,000 World War II veterans still living.

“It’s like living history," Carpenter said. So I feel honored to be able to even meet people that are still alive and hear the things that they went through, and I think that it’s really important that we show them how much we appreciate them and love them."

The gesture of love touched Jim Shirk and brought back some emotional memories. He said he hopes the nation will embrace the “traditional view” of patriotism, which he defines as, "Love your country and your fellow man."

Despite the impact of a pandemic, Carpenter was still able to gather friends and volunteers who all believe in the importance of honoring the elderly, even if masks are required in the heat.

“Literally it’s so easy to just write a letter. Say 'hi.' Say 'thank you.' You can knock on the door. Talk to them on the porch, like, if you have neighbors, stuff like that. Like it’s so easy, they don’t need some grand gesture, it’s just really simple,” she said.