POCATELLO — A local World War II veteran was surrounded by loved ones Monday as he celebrated his 100th birthday.

Ed Firebaugh celebrated at the Idaho State Veterans Home, 1957 Alvin Ricken Drive. He was visited by several family members, including his wife, children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, nieces and nephews.

Firebaugh served in the Navy during World War II. He joined the military in 1944 when he was 18 years old and served in the Pacific.

“It was a big war and I was tired of going to school,” Firebaugh said. “I wanted to get in on some of the excitement.”

Firebaugh served in Hawaii, where he had the opportunity to visit Honolulu while on break. Most of his time was spent doing hard work for the Navy.

“Part of my days in Hawaii, we were towing cargo that looked like a submarine,” Firebaugh said. “They were pulling a little ship called a sub chaser.”

Firebaugh served on other islands in the Pacific throughout his service. One of the harbors he served at was a natural harbor the Navy was protecting.

“There were only two ways you could get in,” Firebaugh said. “That was what we were protecting so ships couldn’t come through the narrow harbors.”

Firebaugh also towed targets to areas where airplane pilots would practice bombing runs during training.

“The planes would fly over and drop bombs on that target to test their accuracy,” Firebaugh said.

After the war, Firebaugh worked for a mining company in northern Idaho. He started as a laborer in the mine before being promoted to electrical training, working in both the mine and the electric shop.

“That’s where I got started being an electrician,” Firebaugh said. “They wanted to get you trained on both fields.”

Firebaugh has been married to his wife, Bardee, for 65 years. Both had been married before, and between the two of them, they had six children.

“She’s been the most important thing in my life,” Firebaugh said. “She is my love.”