Want to live to 101? Centenary Air Force Vet Gives His Advice: ‘Don’t Have Babies’

A 101-year-old military veteran has dedicated his long life to B-24 bomber endurance — and never having children.

Leo Magiera, of Ocala, Florida, turned 101 on September 5.

Raised on a 160-acre dairy farm in Illinois, Magiera grew up in a large family with five brothers and three sisters.

And while working on the farm kept him out of extracurricular activities at school, he escaped at age 18, when he enlisted in the US Air Force.

The decision took him away from rural Illinois and into the skies above war-torn Europe.

Stationed in Italy, Magiera served as a crew member on a B-24 bomber, flying a staggering 21 missions over Germany during World War II.

“One of the things I remember is that when it went over the target, there were a lot of shells exploding around,” he said.

“At one point, there was a shell that exploded right under our plane, and when we got back to base, there were lots of little holes in the bottom of the plane,” he recalled.

Despite the dangers, Magiera admits that fear was secondary to the task at hand.

“I think I was a little scared during the fights, but you don’t really think about it,” he said.

“You just have to do it. You just did your duty and didn’t think about it.”

After completing his 21 missions, Magiera received two awards — the Air Medal Award and the Air Force Good Conduct Medal — before returning to the U.S. on a delivery ship.

Aided by the GI Bill, Magiera pursued a degree in business administration at the University of Illinois.

His education opened the door to a career in the metallurgical industry, where he worked for a company dealing in rare metals.

“I would plan some of the metal in the factory,” he explains, noting that he was married once but had no children.

“We met at work and got to know each other when I was working for this metallurgical corporation.”

Eventually, Magiera began a new chapter, spending 30 years working for the US Postal Service in a variety of roles.

“It was mainly as an in-house clerk,” he says.

In retirement, Magiera moved to Florida, where he purchased six acres for a hobby farm near Ocala while cultivating a quiet and fulfilling lifestyle.

“I thought it was a pretty good life,” he says. “Growing up on a farm and then in the Air Force, so I thought it was pretty cool.”

Now, Magiera lives in Marion Woods – Sky Active Living and attributes his longevity to a combination of good health, regular exercise – and being child-free.

“It’s because I don’t have kids,” he said with a laugh.

“I don’t have advice on getting older, really,” he says.

“I’ve always been pretty healthy, and so growing up on a farm and doing chores and exercising and so on, it all helped.

“Just eat right, exercise and take it easy.”