100yr old war veteran celebrates 100th birthday surrounded by 100 women, fulfilling a promise he made to his troops in World war 11

When you turn a hundred years old, what would be your ultimate birthday wish? Something to capture the moment as you celebrate the grand old age, spending quality time with your grandchildren or lazily gaze at the sea as you rock in your chair, reminiscing about the good old day’s may sound like a good plan for most folks, who would be lucky to reach that ripe old age.

Sitting around and mingling with Kids was however not in the picture for war veteran, Doug Cunningham who celebrated his 100th birthday over the weekend.

The centenarian celebrated his birthday surrounded by 100 women who kissed him, cuddled him and totally spoilt him, fulfilling a promise he had made more than 70 years ago to his troops, when he was an officer stationed in India in 1940.

As they were preparing to go to battle after the World War 11 had broken out, Cunningham realized he needed to know more about the men he was working with, so that in case he was caught up in a dangerous situation he would know who to depend on with his life.

“I said to them, I want you to talk to me about what you’re going to do when the war ends. They said, ‘Sir it’s just started!’ Cunningham remembers while narrating his Birthday to BBC.

Of which Cunningham responded “well it’s got to end sometime”

Young officers most in their twenties stood one by one and opened up about their dreams from getting married, having children to going to university, in the midst of the World War 11.

After they were done one officer however stood up and asked Cunnighham what was his dreams.

“Excuse me sir, what do you want to do when the war ends?” the officer fired at Cunnighham.

“Well I want to live up to a 100 years and I want 100 women to party with me” He fired back.

The room was momentary filled with shrieking, whistling and laughing because as you can imagine in a life of a soldier who sees death every minute that is the ultimate dream.

Cunningham never thought for a second that he would live to hit 100 years, let alone make it out of the war alive.

He however survived the war and eventually moved to Australia where he got married and settled down, working for the Sydney morning Herald newspaper.

They later moved to Swansea near Lake Macquarie after retiring where sadly his wife passed away many years ago, he still cherishes her every day.

His wartime wish came true when a random conversation with a woman at a check-out at his local supermarket asked how old he was.

"One of the girls spoke to me one day and said, 'How old are you?'

"And I told her, and she said 'You'll soon be 100' and I said 'Yes, and I want 100 girls to come to my party".

The girl was first thrown off balance by the 'weird' birthday wish but after learning about the 100 girls’ background story, she and other girls at the check-out decided to help and make his wish come true.

They then organized themselves in such a way every time a female customer went to the till to pay they would tell her about the party.

“Dong is a having a party, to mark his 100 Birthday would you like to come?

And just like that, the number grew day by day until it even exceeded the original 100 he had wanted; the number of women who actually agreed to come to dong’s party was 316.

So come Saturday Doug had a party which will sure go down in history, his war troops must be whistling and shrieking in their graves now.

Finally as a centenarian who survived World war 11, what is the secret to a happy long life?

“Be friendly with everybody, talk to them and love them and that’s is what I have done all my life, friendship, love and chattering away with there is no tomorrow”