Lehighton resident Cornelius McHugh turns 99 on Wednesday, and still vividly remembers his 21st birthday.

The 21st birthday certainly wasn’t celebratory.

World War II was going on and he was at Guadalcanal at the time, a principal island in the Solomon Islands in the Pacific Ocean, where Japanese bombs were being dropped and exploding all around him.

Also at Guadalcanal at the same time was his brother, the late Charles McHugh of Jim Thorpe. Both were Marines.

Cornelius was one of five World War II veterans honored on Sunday by the Lehighton American Legion Post.

Only three of the honorees, all in their 90s, were in attendance.

Others besides McHugh who attended were Edward Conarty Jr., age 92, and Marlin Reinhart, age 94.

Recognized also were Wilbur Gildner, 91, of Palmerton, a U.S. Army Air Force veteran, and Martin Chalupa, 93, of Lehighton, who served in the Navy.

McHugh was accompanied to the dinner program by a grandson, Matthew Harleman. He and his wife, the late Eleanor (Roesch) McHugh, are the parents of four children, two of whom are deceased, and three grandchildren.

He enlisted in the military the day after Japan attacked Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941. He was residing in Bethlehem at the time and his brother already was a Marine.

“On the 8th of December, on I got on a trolley car, went to Allentown and joined the Marines,” he said. He was called to duty in January 1942.

Henry Long, a longtime Legion member and military veteran, played “Happy Birthday” on his bugle to McHugh. The Legion had a birthday cake in his honor.

Conarty, a lifelong resident of Lehighton, enlisted in the Army. He spent most of his military career in the United States.

He was married to the late Mary (Chmel) Conarty.

He had served for many years as the fire chief in Lehighton.

Conarty is a member of SS. Peter and Paul Catholic Church in Lehighton.

Reinhart, originally from Tamaqua, enlisted in the Navy. He said he had gone to electronics school for a year before enlisting in the armed forces.

He and his wife, Dorothy J., reside in Mahoning Township.

All the honorees were given citations by the Pennsylvania House of Representatives by state Rep. Doyle Heffley.

Citations were also sent by U.S. Rep. Dan Meuser and U.S. Sen. Pat Toomey.

Heffley commended the Legion Post for honoring World War II veterans.

He said of military members in general, “So many local heroes throughout Carbon County, and throughout Pennsylvania, did so much.” He praised their contributions and sacrifice.

Heffley urged for all veterans and those actively serving, to “keep them in your prayers.”

Lehighton Mayor Clark Ritter said his father and father-in-law had served in World War II.

He said an effort was made to find their military records, but the paperwork apparently was destroyed in a fire in the Pentagon in the 1970s. He urged the veterans, “Don’t lose your history. Pass your history along.”

Carbon County Commissioner Wayne Nothstein told the honorees, “Thank you for your service and commitment.”

He praised the commitment not only of the military members, but also family members who stood by them.

Remarks were also made by Christine LeClair, Carbon County’s Director of Veterans Affairs. She was accompanied by her 10-year-old son, Jack, who chose attending the program honoring the veterans over a Halloween party. She told the veterans that to her son, “You are the real-life superheroes.”

“So much of our freedom and prosperity that my generation often takes for granted was obtained from your sacrifice and courage,” she said. “You are truly heroes and very deserving of that title.”

Harry E. Wynn III, a member of the Legion, served as the emcee.

The Lehighton UVO color guard presented the World War II veterans with a gun salute.