The Mt. Soledad National Veterans Memorial Association will honor the life of Maj. Robert L. Barto (Ret.) and his service in the United States armed forces for decades on Saturday.

The veterans cemetery will also dedicate a memorial plaque to Barto — who will be there with friends and family as he celebrates his 100th birthday.

Born in New Jersey in 1925, Barto began volunteering as a firefighter and mail carrier at 15, during the height of WWII. He enlisted in the Marine Corps on his 18th birthday, Oct. 29, 1943. Following training in air liaison and aviation radio — including time at Coronado Island — Barto was deployed with the 5th Marine Division.

In February 1945, he received a commendation for bravery under fire on the island of Iwo Jima, volunteering as a stretcher bearer and gen

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