On Dec. 20, World War II Army nurse veteran Regina Benson celebrated her 105th birthday. Born on Dec. 20, 1919 in Philadelphia to Italian immigrant parents, Regina was one of nine children and a twin. Inspired by a sense of patriotic duty, Benson served as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army Nurse Corps in Hawaii, Okinawa and Japan from September 1944 to 1946.

She provided critical medical care to wounded soldiers during the war and set up hospitals, supervised wards of medical, surgical, and orthopedic patients and assisted in life-saving operations. Her courage and dedication earned her numerous accolades, including the American Campaign Medal, Asiatic Pacific Campaign Medal, WWII Victory Medal, and the Armed Services YMCA Angel of the Battlefield Award.