PORTLAND, ME (WCMH) — Espen Christiensen, a Purple Heart recipient and World War II veteran, turned 101 Thursday.

Christiensen earned the Purple Heart fighting on D-Day where he was part of a crew that flew in on gliders, before soldiers stormed the beaches of Normandy.

These days, Christiensen spends his time collecting tools, and says there’s no real secret to living to 100. “No probably hard work, I always worked since I was a young kid,” he told WGME.

To get an idea about life when Christiensen was born; the first human to be launched in space was still 45 years away, and the first transcontinental phone call had just been made.