Supermarket Plans Surprise Birthday Party For 98-Year-Old WWII Vet Who Works As Bag Boy

Aug 29, 2019 by apost team

Barholomew "Bennie" Ficeto celebrated his 98th birthday and plans to keep working as the oldest grocery store bag boy! He tried retirement about 10 years ago and was bored, so now he works two four-hour shifts a week at an Edison, New Jersey, Stop & Shop and won't even take his scheduled 15-minute breaks. He says, "Why would I take a break when I only get to work four hours?" He is always open to working an extra shift if he's needed.

The World War II veteran joined the U.S. Air Force at age 19 and became a pilot and a gunner. He flew a B-25 Mitchell medium-range bomber over North Africa and Italy, Inside Edition reports.

He was surprised by his co-workers who treated him to a birthday cake, a special birthday button, and performances by the USO Show Troupe, who performed songs from the 1940s.

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Sal Marconi, the manager, says that Bennie is a model employee, loves his job, has a great sense of humor, and is a morale booster and a great inspiration for the other workers.

Bennie is a beloved local man who hopes to make it to 100 years old. In an interview with CBS, Bennie explained the reason for still working at his age:

"I get a feeling that I did something good. You can't just sit around like a idiot. You have to have a reason to keep alive."

It's not just about the paycheck, but about a purpose.

You can watch his story in the video below:

Do you know any elderly people who just don't want to stop working? Let us know in the comments and don't forget to pass this story along to your loved ones.