ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Monday marks Veterans Day, a holiday to honor those who have served their country in the U.S. Armed Forces. News10NBC spoke with a 103-year-old veteran of World War II about what the holiday means to him and millions of veterans nationwide.

“Well, Veterans Day means a lot because every day that goes by is a year I’m lucky I was here, thank God I was here,” Jim Ingutti said.

Ingutti, a Navy veteran, served during the invasion of Normandy on D-Day.

“We were there the morning of the invasion at 6 in the morning. I was in the Navy and we had to rush everybody in there,” he said. “The first wave got wiped right out and Eisenhower with the president and says, keep sending the men, someone’s got to get in there. Finally happened. The second crew got in and then finally got a foothold and all hell broke through. Battleships, airplanes, guns. It was a mess.”

Ingutti was just 21 years old when he stormed the beach. He recalls how tense he and his fellow soldiers felt the night before the invasion.

“The day we were supposed to invade, the water was so tough, we couldn’t get in. So, we had to stay there overnight all docked,” he said. “They said don’t strike a match or light anything, they’ll know we’re here. And we waited for the next morning, and everybody rushed right in and took care of the business.”

So now, nearly 80 years after Normandy, does Ingutti think the meaning of Veterans Day has changed?

“No, it hasn’t really changed that much. Because they give it all to veterans now. I understand a lot of restaurants are giving free restaurant meals and drinks and all that stuff. It’s nice. They deserve everything they’re getting,” Ingutti said.

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