Army veteran all smiles from special birthday party
By KEVIN CHIRI
Slidell news bureau
SLIDELL – Anthony Michael Balderas has always been used to a family that was close and looked out for each other.
That began from a young age as he was born into a New Orleans family that ended up with 12 children. And little has changed as he celebrated his 99th birthday in Slidell recently when his family surprised him with a big party that ended up drawing local media and some surprise guests.
Balderas was still living on his Lacombe property until just a year ago, but finally talked to his niece, Dee Schwandt, and admitted it was “probably time to move into a nursing home.”
But just like their family has always done, she would have none of that.
“I told him he was not going to move into a nursing home and that he could move in with me,” she said, living in a Slidell subdivision since 1982.
Since then, Balderas continues to remain amazingly active for a man who will soon see triple figures on his birthday cake. It was only a year ago that he was still living on his own and driving his car.
Schwandt wanted to do something special for her uncle on his 99th birthday, but when she suggested having a ceremony at the World War II Museum in New Orleans, he quickly declined.
“He doesn’t think he is anyone special and shouldn’t get any special recognition compared to all those soldiers who are at the museum,” she said. “So, he told me he didn’t want to do that.”
Not to be deterred, Schwandt set up a big party at her house and invited “everyone I could think of.”
She even called the press, who then contacted Sheriff Randy Smith, who then sent a contingency of officers to the house.
“This is such a surprise,” said Balderas. “I’m overwhelmed.”
Balderas grew up in New Orleans and joined the U.S. Army when he was 18. He would send money back home to help support his family.
He was deployed during World War II and worked in telecommunications in Italy right on enemy lines, but managed to survive and return home, where he ended up working at the Pentagon for 35 years as a communications specialist.
He retired from the service at the age of 55 and purchased a Christmas tree farm in Maryland that he ran for 17 years before coming back south and buying a home in Lacombe.
There are now only three of the siblings left in his family—one brother and one sister besides himself. He never married and has no children but said he has had a great family with so many nieces and nephews.
“Maybe the reason he has lived so long is because he never did marry or have kids,” said Schwandt with a big laugh.
Although having a heart attack at the age of 97, Balderas still gets around remarkably well, only using a cane, and can tell stories from years ago with the best of them.
Schwandt said she loves having her “Uncle Tony” at the house, something that has never been hard for her since she has taken care of elderly people with health issues during past years of her life.