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World War II D-Day veteran and former Lakewood resident, Sam Sachs, has passed away at the age of 106, just one month shy of his 107th birthday, which would have been on April 26.
Sam was an Army paratrooper who landed behind enemy lines as part of the 1944 Allied D-Day liberation of Europe from Nazi Germany. Sam then went on to lead troops in liberating prisoners of a Nazi concentration camp. After returning to civilian life, Sam became a school teacher in Southern California.
Sam shared his WWII story in this episode of Lakewood CityTV’s Honoring Lakewood Veterans Brick by Brick series.
Sam lived in Lakewood for several of his later years and became an active member of the community, speaking at and attending numerous city events, including Memorial Day and Patriot Day.
Lakewood residents and the city teamed up for a massive celebration of Sam’s 105th birthday on April 26, 2020, made challenging since it occurred during the early months of the COVID pandemic.
Thousands of residents of Lakewood…and people from throughout the nation and world…contributed to honoring Sam as a hero on his 105th birthday with a car parade, over 6,000 birthday cards, and more. See the Lakewood CityTV video of the celebration.
In 2021, Sam suffered a serious injury to his leg when he was struck by a car while taking his daily walk around the block in Lakewood. Sam recovered at a long-term care facility in Bell Gardens before settling into a senior facility in Seal Beach.
On March 14, 2022, Sam passed away from natural causes. His family told Lakewood city staff that they were able to visit with him during his final hours, that his final medical bout was relatively brief, and that he remained mentally sharp until the end.
The Sachs family says they are very grateful to the people of Lakewood, and they welcome any condolence messages that people would like to leave on the online guestbook page of the cemetery where Sam was buried: Mount Sinai Memorial Park in the Hollywood Hills. You can leave a 60-character message on the Light a Virtual Candle page.
