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103-year-old WWII veteran credits soda and dark chocolate for his longevity as he celebrates birthday

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103-year-old WWII veteran credits soda and dark chocolate for his longevity as he celebrates birthday


A Pennsylvania World War II veteran celebrated his 103 birthday earlier this month, calling it the greatest day of his life, while he shared the secret of his extraordinary longevity.

Frank Pugliano Sr., dressed in his WWII veteran jacket and hat, enjoyed the birthday festivities along with his family and friends at Boyce Park, outside of Pittsburgh, PA. last weekend where tables were decorated with tiny American flags.

“The greatest day of my life,” he told WTAE. “I never thought I’d be here at 103, going from what I went through. You never know. A lot of my friends never made it, but I made it.”

Pugliano credits Coca-Cola and dark chocolate as the reason he made it to 103, he told the outlet.

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World War II Army veteran, Frank Puggliano Sr. celebrated his 103rd birthday earlier this month. Facebook

The Italian-born soldier immigrated to the US when he was only 6 years old and graduated from Penn Hills High School in 1942, according to the Tribune-Review.

Pugliano enlisted in the US Army and served for three years in the Pacific theater, where he survived a Japanese torpedo attack while he was deployed on a convoy mission to Luzon in the Philippines.

He says he saw a lot of young men lose their lives during the attack.

Pugliano was honorably discharged from the Army in 1945.

Pugliano attended his birthday party at Boyce Park outside of Pittsburgh last weekend. Facebook
A birthday cake decorated “Happy 103rd Birthday Frank” was waiting for Pugliano at the party. Facebook

Following his return home, Pugliano married his high school sweetheart, Mary Strough, and the couple were married for 65 years until she died in 2011.

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He became a diesel mechanic after his military service, specializing in heavy equipment.

At the time of his centennial milestone, Pugliano credited “good Italian genes” and staying active as the reason he reached triple digits.

“The doctor told me, ‘Whatever you’re doing, do it,’” Pugliano told the newspaper, boasting about his excellent health except for bad knees.

“His health is remarkable and he doesn’t look his age. His frame of mind, everything … it’s absolutely incredible,” Pugliano’s son, Frank Pugliano Jr. said at his father’s 100th birthday.

The 103-year-old says he cuts his grass and maintains his home to keep active.

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The Greatest Generation member still keeps up with the times, using his iPad daily and running his own Facebook account.

“That’s how I keep in touch with my relatives,” Pugliano said.

At the time of his centennial milestone, Pugliano credited “good Italian genes” and staying active as the reason he reached triple digits. Facebook
The 103-year-old says he cuts his grass and maintains his home to keep active. Facebook

He most recently worked at a 55-and-over residential community, maintaining the clubhouse until he was 98 years old.

Pugliano said his favorite dishes include three eggs, bacon, hash browns, toast and coffee at Kings Family Restaurant and pasta fagioli at his favorite restaurant, The Olive Garden, according to the Tribune.

In March, Vincent Dransfield, a former New Jersey volunteer fire chief and great-grandfather of seven turned 110.

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Pugliano enlisted in the US Army and served for three years in the Pacific theater until he was honorably discharged in 1945.
Following his return home, Pugliano married his high school sweetheart, Mary Strough, and the couple were married for 65 years until she died in 2011. Facebook

Dransfield is one of the few men in the group of 110-plus-year-olds and has lived a healthy life all those years with just some knee pain to complain about, according to “Today.”

He lives alone with no home aide or extra help, cooks simple food for himself, walks up and down his three-level house and drives “pretty good” daily with no issues.



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Pennsylvania

State College, Pennsylvania: 2026 USA TODAY 10BEST Readers’ Choice Awards

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State College, Pennsylvania: 2026 USA TODAY 10BEST Readers’ Choice Awards


In rural Pennsylvania, State College houses Penn State against a backdrop of beautiful country scenery. The university hosts many events, arts performances, and lively festivals that give the town year-round excitement that blends student life with local charm. Visitors can attend a football game, explore nearby parks and trails, and savor the town’s growing culinary scene of pubs and local eateries.



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Pennsylvania

What the war with Iran could mean for gas prices in western Pennsylvania

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What the war with Iran could mean for gas prices in western Pennsylvania


The war with Iran could start impacting your wallet as soon as today.

Jim Garrity from AAA East Central says oil prices are up.

“They’re hovering around $72. They were pretty consistently around $65, $66 for a while,” he said.

Nationally, AAA said the average for a gallon of regular sits at about $3, up approximately six cents from last week.

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In Pennsylvania, it’s around $3.12 a gallon, and in the Pittsburgh region, it’s around $3.24 a gallon. That’s actually down about four cents from last week.

Garrity added that gas prices this time of year would already be increasing, usually because of higher demand for the warmer months and the production of the summer blend of gas used for those months.

The impacts of what’s happening in Iran may not be immediate, which could be part of why our region and the state overall have not seen a spike yet, he said.

“It could be a couple of days later. It could be up to a week later,” Garrity said.

A lot of people are watching what happens with the Strait of Hormuz. Iran borders it to the north, and 20% of the world’s oil goes through it.

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Iran is one of the world’s biggest oil producers, and China gets a lot of that oil.

“If there is an impact there, you could see oil start to come in from other parts of the world, which has a downstream effect on [the United States],” Garrity said.

One way you can save on gas if prices increase in our area is by slowing down.

“When you drive faster every five miles, over 50 miles an hour, your fuel efficiency is going down,” Garrity said. “You’re making the car work harder, making the gasoline consumption less effective.”

Garrity added that in 2022, when our area and many others saw some of the highest gas prices ever recorded, people changed their driving habits.

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“We saw people make seemingly permanent changes to their driving behaviors, driving less in general, consolidating trips,” he said.



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Iran vows revenge after the killing of its top leader

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Iran vows revenge after the killing of its top leader


With energy affordability and reliability dominating headlines, state lawmakers peppered Pennsylvania Environmental Protection Secretary Jessica Shirley about the administration’s strategy to speed the addition of new power sources to the electric grid. Members of the Senate Appropriations Committee asked Thursday about the administration’s plans to ensure Pennsylvanians’ lights stay on as the commonwealth courts tech […]



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