Local man reflects on 100 years of life as community honors him

AMMON – Chester “Chet” Warner is celebrating his 100th birthday Tuesday and the community is celebrating it with him.

At Thursday’s city council meeting, Ammon Mayor Sean Coletti issued a proclamation declaring Sept. 23, 2025 as Chester Warner Day.

In a conversation with EastIdahoNews.com, Warner expressed his appreciation for the recognition and said “he’s looking forward to it.”

Warner grew up in Heyburn and has lived through many historical events, including the Great Depression and World War II. He’s one of the few remaining World War II veterans nationwide.

Warner shared some memories of his military experience with us.

“I was 17 years old when I went into the Navy,” Warner recalls. “I went in on what they called the V-6, victory in six months. I was in there just under three years.”

V-6 refers to a Navy recruitment program that enlisted young men into the Naval Reserve. It was a strategy designed to attract volunteers at a time when many young men were being drafted into the army. The V-6 program allowed the Navy to expand its forces and provide an alternative to the draft.

Boot camp and military service

Warner attended boot camp at the now-defunct Farragut Naval Training Station in northern Idaho, and later, firefighting school in Pearl Harbor.

He specialized as an electrician and worked in the engine room of the USS Champion during the invasion of Saipan and Tinian, two separate battles fought between June and August of 1944.

During the battle of Saipan, the U.S. occupied the island and established an air base for B-29 bombers to attack Japanese cities.

“This battle not only marked a turning point in the Pacific theater but also had long-lasting implications for the course of the war,” EBSCO reports.

More than 3,400 Americans were killed during the invasion, along with 28,500 Japanese servicemen. Another 13,160 people were wounded.

Once Saipan was secured, Tinian three miles south of Saipan became the next target.

“The world’s longest runways were built on Tinian and became the launching sites of numerous B-29 bombing raids against the Japanese main islands, including the planes that dropped the atomic bombs against Hiroshima and Nagasaki,” according to EBSCO.

The USS Champion was a minesweeper and its job was to protect other American vessels by removing or detonating bombs.

“We had equipment on that minesweeper some of the destroyers didn’t even have,” Warner says. “We had depth charges and anti-aircraft guns.”

Warner’s assignment consisted of adjusting the speed of the engine for navigation.

When the war was over, Warner recalls standing watch in the shop at the shipyard and hearing the vessels in the harbor start to whistle.

“It was a little while before I found out that the war was over,” he says.

It was several months before he returned home. He was discharged in Bremerton, Washington and boarded a train to Heyburn.

“I figured I would surprise my folks because I didn’t tell them I was coming,” Warner recalls. “They were waiting for me when I got there. My sea bag (a duffle bag for seamen’s personal belongings) got there the day before I did.”

Life after the war

Warner later married Earla Shurtliff of Pocatello, whom he’d written letters to throughout the war and met for the first time after returning home. They were married in 1948.

They had three children, the youngest of which passed away last week at age 71.

Shurtliff passed away in 1968 from a heart condition. Warner married two more times, first June Anderson, of Ammon, and later, her sister, Doris. Both of them had six kids and they also died from heart conditions. Warner’s daughter, Wendy Jones, says the circumstances surrounding the death of her dad’s wives led some to jokingly refer to him as “the heartbreaker.”

Warner had multiple careers throughout his life. He briefly worked as a cement mixer and has fond memories lifting bags of cement to help build the Overland Bridge between Burley and Heyburn. It stood for many years and was recently replaced, according to Jones.

Warner once worked as a truck driver for a lumber company as well. His longest career was a job repairing tracks for the Union Pacific Railroad, which he retired from in 1989 after 23 years.

Warner is grateful that he “always had a job he could go back to.”

“I was never fired from any job. Any place that I worked, I could’ve gone back to work with,” he says.

Woodworking is a hobby he’s enjoyed throughout his life. A bookcase and a dresser he made are among the items in his home. It’s a passion he loved sharing with others as a scoutmaster through the years.

He was also involved with the Kiwanis Club.

Warner is proud that he’s only had a traffic ticket once in his life.

“I drove for 80 years and in that (time), I had one traffic ticket for speeding,” he says.

After 100 years of life, Warner cites his family as his greatest achievement. It includes 40 grandkids, 157 great-grandchildren and 17 great-great-grandchildren.

When asked about the secret to his longevity, Warner gave all the credit to God.

“He blessed me with good health and I’ve worked with hard and heavy stuff all my life,” he says.

To the rising generation, Warner offers some simple, straightforward advice.

“Be honest. Do your work and don’t goof off with it. Get involved in what you’re doing,” he says.