As part of our week long salute to our Valley's Bravest, we sat down with former state Senator Harry Meshel, who says his military service was just the beginning of a lifetime of serving the public.

At 90-years-old Harry Meshel is considered part of the Greatest Generation.

The World War II veteran, has earned his medals as a Navy Seabee, but says the term hero is reserved for those who gave every ounce of what they had for this country.

Meshel became emotional as he said, "The people who deserve the tribute mostly today -- it's not those of us still here. It's those who didn't make it. What else can you say."

As the list of surviving World War II veterans dwindles everyday, Meshel says it's critical to remember what they sacrificed for our freedoms. Freedoms so often we take for granted.

"As they say, they came, they conquered. But more than that, they went and they were gone in some cases. They'll be the last ones to tell you that they were heroes," Meshel said.

Meshel served in the Pacific where he captured a Japanese soldier, and 70 years later still has the prisoner's flag, gun and blood soaked waist band wrap. For Meshel, it was just the beginning of decades of service to country and service to the people.

"In our case, three brothers went in, three brothers came home."