EUTAWVILLE, S.C. — Surrounded by loved ones, World War II veteran William James is celebrating his 100th birthday.
"Because he is the only living relative out of his brothers and sisters, he requested all of his nieces and nephews to come home for his birthday, and they are all going to be here," James' granddaughter Isha Warr said.
"This means everything to me," James said. "This is what I wanted them to do. I told them I wanted all of them to come and see me."
James says the secret to living to 100 is the love he gets from his large family, which includes 10 kids, 20 grandchildren, and 45 great-grandchildren.
"They treat me like a kid now," joked James. "I raised them, and now they are raising me. That's the exciting thing about getting old."
James' 100th birthday celebration will take place Saturday at Springfield Missionary Baptist Church from noon to 2 pm. Family members say they are expecting around 300 loved ones to attend.
"I'm just happy that my granddad is still alive at 100 years old," Warr said. "We're going to continue to celebrate his birthday each year as it comes. Happy Birthday, Granddad!
"I'm going to celebrate it how I'm doing right now," said James. "I'm going to sit down and enjoy life."