VIDEO: Bob Lechtreck has crammed a lot of living into his 100 years. That was evident to anyone who attended his party at Brookdale Senior Living Wednesday afternoon. The birthday boy joined the Navy at age 17 and served in the Pacific Theater during World War II. He was at the battle of Okinawa, and his Destroyer helped guard Tokyo Bay for Imperial Japanโs signing of the instruments of surrender. In 1948, he joined the Kern County Fire Department and rose to the rank of fire chief.
Both his Honor Flight buddies and representatives of the county fire department were on hand for his birthday party, along with a packed roomful of Brookdale neighbors. His son, also Bob Lechtreck, said Bob Sr. lived a remarkable life. โHe had a 30-year career, rising all the way to the fire chief,โ said the younger Lechtreck, who retired as a county battalion chief himself. โHe was the chief. Heโs the only living person who worked with the very first fire chief, Harold Boway. Thereโs nobody else alive that worked with Harold Boway.โ
