A Life of Service, Etched in Stone: Honoring 99-Year-Old WWII Veteran Al Hansen at Mt. Soledad

Some stories stop you in your tracks.

Al Hansen's is one of them.

On Friday, September 4th, Mt. Soledad National Veterans Memorial was honored to host a special Veteran Honor Ceremony in partnership with the USS Midway Museum — dedicating a newly mounted memorial plaque to 99-year-old World War II veteran and Aviation Machinist's Mate 3rd Class Al Hansen. Family, friends, community members, USS Midway Museum representatives, and local leaders gathered atop La Jolla's iconic coastal peak to honor a man whose life has been defined by one word: service.

From the Pacific Theater to the Decks of the Midway

Al Hansen first answered the call at 16 years old, enlisting in the U.S. Navy in 1944. He served four years as an aerial gunner in the Pacific Theater, flying combat patrols over the China Sea during some of the most intense fighting of World War II. He was part of a generation that did not hesitate — a generation that gave everything to preserve the freedom we carry into America's 250th year.

But for Al, service did not end with the armistice.

After his military career and a 31-year career with Pacific Bell, Al joined the USS Midway Museum as a volunteer in 2005 — becoming not just its longest-serving docent, but its only remaining WWII veteran volunteer. In the nearly two decades since, he has dedicated more than 6,300 hours as a docent, safety crew member, and outreach ambassador — showing up, day after day, to make sure the stories of his fellow service members were never lost.

He never did it for recognition. He did it because he believed those stories mattered.

A Moment of Honor, Shared With Humility

When the framed print of his newly mounted memorial plaque was presented to him on Friday afternoon, Al Hansen — 99 years old and still sharp as ever — was visibly moved.

"I'm shocked because I never expected this," he said.

That response, more than anything, tells you everything about who Al Hansen is.

Neil O'Connell, Executive Director of the Mt. Soledad Memorial Association, reflected on the significance of the moment: "Living and deceased, we honor. The great thing about it today was Al Hansen is 99 years old. We couldn't be more elated to present this plaque to him. We're here to tell his story, preserve his legacy, and share the great things he's done in our community since he left the service."

David Koontz, Director of Marketing for the USS Midway Museum, echoed that sentiment: "It is honoring and paying tribute to those who wore the uniform of this nation in wars dating back more than 100 years."

And in a moment that spoke to the depth of Al's character, he used his own honor to remember others — pausing to reflect on the brothers he lost along the way.

"I think of the almost half a million Americans that are underground because of WWII," he said quietly. "And it's terrible."

He has lived, all these years, for their memory too.

A Plaque Among Nearly 7,700 Others

Al Hansen's plaque now joins nearly 7,700 others at Mt. Soledad National Veterans Memorial — each one a story, a face, a life of service. As our nation celebrates America 250, Mt. Soledad's mission of "Telling the American Story" has never felt more urgent or more alive. Al's plaque is a reminder that the American story is not just written in history books. It is written in the people who lived it — and who keep showing up, long after they were asked to.

Al Hansen has been showing up for 83 years. His story deserves to be remembered forever.

Honor a Veteran at Mt. Soledad

Is there a veteran in your life whose story deserves to be preserved — a living hero like Al, or a loved one who has passed? A personalized plaque at Mt. Soledad National Veterans Memorial is one of the most meaningful ways to ensure their legacy endures for generations to come.

👉 Dedicate a plaque today at soledadmemorial.org/order-a-plaque

We don't just preserve names. We protect the American Story.