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Jim Wescoat’s life has long been intertwined with Dec. 7. He was born on that date in 1921 in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Exactly 20 years later, following the attack on Pearl Harbor, he enlisted in the Marine Corps.

Now 103, Wescoat is the only World War II Marine veteran living at The Woodlands retirement community in Fairfax. On Jan. 10, fellow residents, relatives and guests gathered there as the Quilts of Valor Foundation presented him with a handmade patriotic quilt.

“He’s given a lot to his country, and we believe he’s most deserving of this award,” said Madonna Rabatin, the foundation’s Virginia coordinator and one of the quiltmakers.

Her sister, foundation member Toni Rabatin, explained that Blue Star mother Catherine Roberts established Quilts of Valor in 2003 while her son was deployed to Iraq as a Humvee gunner. Roberts envisioned a quilt comforting a returning service member struggling with the effects of war, inspiring the organization’s message that quilts can help bring healing.

The foundation presents quilts to active-duty service members and veterans affected by war, including those carrying wounds that are not visible. Since its creation, more than 11,000 volunteer quiltmakers have helped award over 400,000 quilts worldwide.

Rabatin described the meaning of Wescoat’s three-layer quilt. Its varied fabrics represent the organization’s many communities and volunteers, while the center filling symbolizes warmth, peace and healing. The backing reflects the recipient’s strength and the support provided by family, community and country. Every stitch, she said, carries the maker’s love and gratitude.

Madonna Rabatin then wrapped the quilt around Wescoat as her sister thanked him for his service and welcomed him home.

Woodlands resident Ron Gallier followed with a poem he had written in Wescoat’s honor, describing the veteran as the community’s “pride and joy” and a friend to every resident.

Wescoat’s daughter, Fairfax resident Martha Wescoat-Andes, stood beside him during the ceremony. Wescoat told the crowd he was deeply thankful for the work and thoughtfulness behind the presentation.

He also said the Marine Corps had given him more than he believed he had contributed. A high-school dropout when he enlisted, Wescoat gained confidence in the military. After leaving the service in 1945, he returned to school and completed the courses needed for his diploma.

That decision also changed his personal life. While at the school, he met Bonna, the woman who became his wife, the mother of their four children and, as he described her, his continuing inspiration.

A pianist played the Marine Corps Hymn before retired Army Col. Jim Miller, another Woodlands resident, spoke about Wescoat’s wartime service aboard the USS Denver.

During the Pacific campaign, the Denver was among the Navy ships that bombarded Japanese-held islands before Marine landings. Miller praised Wescoat as a fighter and said he was proud to call him a friend.

Wescoat served as a buck sergeant responsible for directing the ship’s 40-millimeter antiaircraft guns. He operated equipment used to align the weapons against enemy aircraft.

The Denver was eventually struck by a torpedo while Wescoat was in the boiler room in Japanese waters. Although the ship was vulnerable, it did not sink. It was towed to Guadalcanal, returned to the United States for repairs and then sent back into the war.

Wescoat left the Marines in November 1945, two months after the conflict ended. As he worked toward his high-school diploma, Bonna—then attending college—returned to visit a former mentor at the school. The mentor introduced the pair.

Wescoat later used the GI Bill to attend the University of Virginia, graduating around 1950 with an engineering degree. He went on to work at oil refineries for Esso, Hess and Mobil. As a safety and security inspector, he visited Mobil refineries around the world, and he spent decades with the company as an engineer.

He and Bonna raised their children—Jim, Bonna, Martha and Andy—in Texas and New Jersey. When Mobil relocated its headquarters to Fairfax in the late 1980s, the couple moved to Oakton, where they lived for the next 30 years.

Their family eventually grew to include eight grandchildren and one great-grandchild. The couple was married for more than 70 years before Bonna died two years ago at age 93.

Following his retirement, Wescoat remained active in the community. He worked in The Lamb Center’s kitchen in Fairfax City for several years, helping people experiencing homelessness. At Waples Mill Elementary School in Oakton, he spent recess periods teaching children to construct bridges from cardboard.

Wescoat-Andes said her father remains closely connected to his grandchildren and is a central figure in the family. She credited his long life to his thoughtful nature, the good life he led and the help he provided to others.

A quilter herself, she said she understood how much labor went into her father’s award. She also praised The Woodlands for organizing the ceremony, luncheon and cake, and said the community’s Marines and other veterans regularly gather and support one another.

Wescoat has lived at The Woodlands for about six years and said he enjoys its friendly residents and staff, along with its concerts and entertainment. He remained modest about the honor, saying many others had contributed more to the war effort.

Still, he said the recognition left him overwhelmed.

“It was a wonderful effort by some very thoughtful people,” Wescoat said, “and I’ll treasure the memories and the quilt.”