101-year-old WWII veteran returns to Battleship New Jersey for emotional homecoming

A 101-year-old World War II veteran returned to the Battleship New Jersey, the ship where he served as a young man and made memories that lasted a lifetime.

Paul Robbins is the last known living World War II crewmember to have served aboard the iconic battleship.

Robbins was just 18 years old when he joined the crew of the U.S.S. New Jersey. He served from 1943 to 1946, helping operate the ship's massive guns during World War II battles in the Pacific.

Now living in Omaha, Nebraska, Robbins returned to Camden on Monday to visit the ship that shaped his life.

"It feels like an old homecoming," Robbins said when asked what it was like to be back aboard the Battleship New Jersey.

The Battleship New Jersey honored Robbins for his service. Camden County presented him with a medal and issued a proclamation recognizing his contributions.

"I'm surprised and I'm thankful," Robbins said.

For those who care for the historic ship, Robbins' return was a chance to connect with someone who experienced its history firsthand.

"Paul is the embodiment of the Greatest Generation," Marshall Spevak, CEO of Battleship New Jersey, said. "He served on this ship throughout the entire World War II in the Pacific. And it's our job as caretakers of the ship to carry his legacy forward."

To preserve that legacy, Robbins signed an American flag that will fly atop the Battleship New Jersey.

The ceremony honored a sailor who helped write the first chapter of the ship's story and who returned to the place he once called home.