Local & Community
Local WWII Veteran Turns 100!
Coachella Valley’s very own Dean “Doc” McCandless celebrated his 100th birthday
The WWII veteran and doctor spent his life serving others.
“I’m very proud of him,” says his daughter Mary Parks.
While serving in the military, McCandless had four combat jumps, received both a bronze and silver star, and was honored with a purple heart.
“He was a paratrooper, and he jumped behind enemy lines, he was on the 82nd airborne, the 555th division,” proudly adds Parks.
Even after WWII, McCandless compassionate spirit pushed him to keep serving.
He graduated from Duke University’s School of Medicine in 1950 and went on to work in the medical field for nearly 30 years before retiring in the desert in 1981.
The La Quinta resident couldn’t stop smiling while celebrating his monumental birthday with friends and family at Indio’s American Legion but the presence of his wife was dearly missed.
McCandless was married to his wife Polly for 72 years and became a widow in 2012.
“We met on a blind date that neither of us wanted to go on and yet we had a happy life together,” says McCandless.
Happy Birthday, Dean!
By: NBC Palm Springs
September 7, 2019
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