A 103-year-old World War II veteran named Louis Gigliotti has finally started receiving his veterans benefits from the U.S. government after paying his medical bills out-of-pocket for 78 years. Gigliotti, a former U.S. Army medical technician, was honored at the Alaska Veterans Museum in Anchorage where he lives. His caretaker, Melanie Carey, discovered that Gigliotti had never used his status as a veteran to access free health care benefits. She helped him apply for his benefits, and he was awarded the Alaska Veterans Honor Medal by the state Office of Veterans Affairs. Gigliotti has led an eventful life, moving from an orphanage to working on a farm in Connecticut before joining the military during World War II. He served as a surgical technician without going to the combat zone and later moved to Alaska in 1955. Gigliotti owned bars and worked as a bartender in Fairbanks and Anchorage. His passion for retirement was caring for his wife, Millie, and training boxers for free in a makeshift ring in his garage. Despite his humble nature, Gigliotti attended the award ceremony and jokingly attributes his longevity to either not feeling old or having a “drink a day.” His story is a reminder that it is never too late for veterans to apply for their benefits, regardless of how much time has passed since their service, according to the director of the Alaska Office of Veterans Affairs.
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