Fam is best b’day gift
Vet is 100, gets 1st visit since COVID hit
This celebration was a full century in the making.
Long-quarantined World War II veteran Harold Schachner enjoyed a surprise visit from family members at his Upper West Side nursing home to mark his 100th birthday, complete with wide smiles, chocolate cake and sandwiches from Zabar’s for the happy patriarch.
“I have a wonderful family,” said the guest of honor at Friday’s festivities in a courtyard at the New Jewish Nursing Home. “I’m still here and enjoying life.”
A music therapist at the facility played “Happy Birthday” on acoustic guitar as Schachner came out to meet daughter Susan Schachner Schultz, son-in-law James Schultz and 17-year-old grandson Schuyler.
Visitors to New York state nursing homes were banned back in March, and this was the family’s first reunion since then.
“I missed him a great deal,” said his daughter. “I think this is the longest I haven’t seen him in my whole life.” And what a life it is. Chicago-born Schachner enlisted in the U.S. Navy in 1939, serving as a first class signalman on a destroyer in the Pacific during World War II.
His daughter said Schachner was an unlikely candidate for sea duty: “He didn’t know how to swim. But they put him on a boat, and off he went.”
The aspiring bass player was discharged in 1945 and relocated to New York City, enrolling at The Juilliard School on the G.I. Bill, his daughter said.
Schachner married his late wife Natalie in 1947, and after two years,yeas, endededed hiss formaloa training and went in search of work.
“He needed the money,”
SusanSusa explained.epaed.
Though mainly a classical musician, Schachner’s skills brought him to Broadway, the New York City Ballet and the NBC Symphony Orchestra. He played double bass with the ballet company, and his work appeared on the original soundtracks for the Broadway shows “West Side Story” and “Peter Pan.”
While with the NBC Orchestra, he performed under le egendary conductor Arturo Toscanini. Schachner credit ted his career for his longevit ty, insisting that “being a musician” s kept him going .
The Upper West Sider of six decades launched his musical career while a student at Marshall Metropolitan High School in Chicago, and retired from the ballet gig at the age a of 80.
The birthday boy — born a year y too late for the flu pandemic of 1918-19 — was fêted during the ongoing health crisis with three silver baloons celebrating his 100year y milestone.
In addition to the cake, his daughter delivered chocolate bars to dad before reading from cards sent along by other o family members.
“I’m very happy to have reached this age,” Schachner said.