Knoxville church honors 100-year-old WWII veteran Elmer Syler and his D-Day bravery

KNOXVILLE, Tenn — Faith Lutheran Church of Knoxville celebrated the milestone birthday of one of its members on Sunday. 

World War II and D-Day veteran Elmer Syler turned 100 years old on Jan. 8. Syler was born in Baltic, Ohio, in 1926, and his church said he was baptized at the age of 18 shortly after he was drafted into the War. 

When the United States invaded Nazi-occupied France on the infamous D-Day, Syler was just 18 years old.

Syler served as a glider rider with the 325th Glider Infantry Regiment of the 82nd Airborne Division during the War. Syler experienced combat for the first time within one day of landing — during a three-day battle to secure the La Fière Bridge.

During Syler’s birthday celebration, the church presented a video presentation of his life story and surprised Syler with a special visit from a Tennessee State representative. 

One of the church members’ daughters is a teacher all the way out in California, and she had all her first-grade students make cards and sent them to Syler. 

Syler’s pastor said that Syler still gets up and mows his yard and spends hours putting together intricate jigsaw puzzles during his free time. His church family said he is still “deeply curious about life.”

“There’s something in my life that isn’t done yet … or else I wouldn’t be here,” Syler said. 

“I enjoy most everything now,” Syler said. “Because I see it today and I know I might not see it tomorrow.”

Below, you can watch a WBIR special titled “Return to Normandy” that originally aired on the 70th anniversary of D-Day in 2014. The special takes a look at the largest land and sea invasion in history through the eyes of two self-described “farm boys” from East Tennessee.