Love can be found at any age and this couple is the best example. 100-year-old Harold Terens, a World War II veteran, married his 96-year-old sweetheart Jeanne Swerlin on Saturday in a romantic ceremony near the historic D-Day beaches of Normandy, France. The New York City natives exchanged vows at the town hall of Carentan, a site marked by the famous World War II Battle of Carentan, just two days after the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings.
“It’s not just for young people, love, you know? We get butterflies. And we get a little action, also,” Swerlin, dressed in a long pink gown, quipped with a twinkle in her eye.
The couple, both widowed began their romance in 2021. Terens is a native of the Bronx and Swerlin hails from Brooklyn. Their tied knot in a ceremony attended by onlookers, some dressed in WWII-era clothing, who lined up an hour early to offer their best wishes. A pipe and drum band added to the nostalgic ambiance, serenading the happy couple.
Although the vows were read in English by Carentan’s mayor, Jean-Pierre Lhonneur, the couple added a French twist, saying “Oui” instead of “I do.” The ceremony, while symbolic and not legally binding due to local regulations, was filled with heartfelt moments.
After the ceremony, Terens addressed the crowd with a poignant toast, “To everybody’s good health, and to peace in the world and the preservation of democracy all over the world and the end of the war in Ukraine and Gaza.”
After exchanging vows, the newlyweds were celebrated at a dinner in the Elysee Palace in Paris, hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron, with U.S. President Joe Biden also in attendance.
June 6, 1944, known as D-Day, saw more than 150,000 Allied troops invading the Nazi-occupied beaches of Normandy. This historic event, which claimed the lives of 4,000 Allied soldiers, marked a turning point in the war. Terens, who enlisted in 1942, served as a radio repair technician for a P-47 Thunderbolt fighter squadron. On D-Day, he repaired planes returning from France, witnessing the heavy toll on his company’s pilots.
Despite the somber memories of the war, the couple’s wedding day was filled with joy and affection. “He’s the greatest kisser ever, you know?” Swerlin shared before embracing her husband passionately.
