LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) — James Hellard, a World War II veteran who served on the front lines in the Battle of the Bulge, celebrated his 100th birthday surrounded by his favorite things: live music and his loved ones.

"The biggest thing I'm proud of is his heart and how giving he is, and how kind he is to everybody. And of course, I'm proud of what he did in the war, you know, for being a war hero," Latonna Wilson said.

Wilson celebrated her hero's centennial birthday, honoring a man who was shipped to Belgium as a teenager to protect the United States during World War II.

Hellard served in the Battle of the Bulge, the Nazis' last true offensive move in the war. The impact of his service extends far beyond his personal story.

"The effect of what they did, what it's done for us now, we

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