WASHINGTON—Expressing fondness for the kindly centenarian, Secretary of the Army Christine Wormuth announced Wednesday that 104-year-old Harold Deacon, who never served in the military, would be awarded the World War II Victory Medal just because it seemed like the nice thing to do. “Though he was not drafted and never enlisted in the armed forces before, during, or after the Second World War, we honestly can’t think of any good reason not to give the medal to a guy who’s been around as long as Mr. Deacon has,” Wormuth said of the lifelong Salina, KS resident, adding that while he may not have fought in the European or Pacific theater, the war had been hard on the home front, too, and that as a member of the Greatest Generation, Deacon had lived through quite a bit, even the Great Depression. “Harold has seen a lot in his time. Maybe not combat, but a lot. Besides, Veteran’s Day isn’t far off, and when people meet a guy born in 1918 being pushed down the sidewalk in a wheelchair, they’re going to want to see a medal on his chest. Everyone probably assumes he’s a vet anyway, so what’s the harm?” The Army secretary went on to defy anyone to take a look at the adorable old fellow and tell her they didn’t want to pin a few military decorations on him right this second.