A Coin Toss and a Pint: WWII Veteran Marks 100th Birthday

A British veteran of World War II marked his 100th birthday on Friday with a non-alcoholic pint of Guinness, revisiting the extraordinary twist of fate that he credits with saving his life eight decades ago.

Ken Pusey, who served with the Royal Engineers, was stationed in Antwerp, Belgium, during the war. On a day off, he and a companion faced a simple decision: heads for the cinema, tails for the club. The coin came down tails.

That choice proved pivotal. While Pusey was enjoying a Guinness in a bar, a German rocket struck the cinema they had opted to skip. The attack claimed the lives of 567 people, including friends of the young soldier.

Speaking at his birthday celebration in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, Pusey recalled the moment with clarity. "3:20 in the afternoon, we heard this, oh, you can't explain the noise from the explosion," he said. "We had no idea what it was, where we were. So we had our drink."

He added that his mind still shields him from the full horror of what he witnessed afterward. "My mind won't allow me to see the sights that was out there when we went there."

Surrounded by family, including his nephew Ray, Pusey raised his glass once more, proving that even a century later, the allure of a pint remains a constant.