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A 98-year-old World War II veteran took to the stage at the Republican National Convention on Wednesday and declared that he would return and reenlist in the U.S. military if Donald Trump became president.
William Pekrul, a father of 11 children and a “proud” veteran, said he took part in the Battle of the Bulge, the last major German offensive on the Western Front during World War II, in 1944-1945.
In a brief speech, the Milwaukee veteran declared that if Trump were to reinstate him as commander in chief of the U.S. Army and Navy – a title the U.S. president automatically holds – he would “go back and reenlist today.”
Pekrul’s assertion erupted in excitement from the crowd, with applause, cheers and whistles.
“I’m going to storm whatever coast the country needs me to,” he added.
Pekrl said he “witnessed the horrors of the Nazi war camps” while serving in the military during World War II, and that after Hitler’s death and the Nazis’ defeat, “very few people returned home. I still miss the many friends I had on those beaches.”
“Today, there aren’t many of us left, but for those of us here, America is still worth fighting for,” he continued.
“It pains me to see what the current president and vice president have done to the country I love,” he said, adding that the two presidents had been “humiliated” in Afghanistan, “pushed around” in China and “allowed terrorists to run wild” in the Middle East.
He went on to say that the government had “allowed our southern border to be invaded as well,” to applause.
“If anyone comes to attack me or my house, I will put my feet on the ground and never look back. That’s the attitude that saved the free world.”
The Wisconsin native received thunderous applause from the Republican National Convention audience throughout his speech, stopping at one point to let audience members chant “USA” and pump their fists in praise of his patriotism for the country.
Pekrull enlisted in the U.S. Army at Boys Tech High School and served in the 29th and 75th Infantry Regiments. During his service, he served in Normandy for 42 days in combat in 1944, the longest days of his life, he said in an interview with the War Memorial Center in 2020.
On Wednesday, President Trump’s new running mate, J.D. Vance, gave his first speech as the Republican vice presidential nominee, concluding the third day of the Republican National Convention.
“For half a century, he has promoted every policy that has weakened and impoverished America,” Vance said in a scathing attack on President Joe Biden.
During his speech, chants of “Joe has to go!” rang out throughout the convention center.
President Trump is scheduled to deliver his closing address at the Republican National Convention on Thursday.