For more than 80 years, 104-year-old Army veteran Chester Gryzbowski has thought about what could have been. He doesn’t have regrets - he had the opportunity to serve his country and raise a loving family - but he does occasionally think about missed opportunities.

Chester had always wanted to be a civil engineer, eyeing a coveted spot as a freshman at Georgia Tech - known especially for its engineering program. But the combination of the Great Depression and World War II prevented him from attending college. Instead, he went to work earning money to help his family before being drafted into the Army in 1942.

Chester earned two bronze stars fighting in the Pacific and then went straight into the workforce to support his wife and 3-year-old daughter when he returned home. His passion for engineering, however, never dimmed - he still keeps a trigonometry book in his room in hospice care at the Captain James A. Lovell Federal Health Care Center in North Chicago.

When we heard about Chester’s story, we knew we wanted to help honor Chester’s life and legacy. So, we reached out to Georgia Tech. Georgia Tech’s President Bud Peterson didn’t even hesitate - he immediately named Chester an “Honorary Yellow Jacket.”

This past weekend, we surprised Chester with a letter naming him an honorary freshman at Georgia Tech, a yellow RAT cap and a T-book — traditions for incoming freshmen at Georgia Tech. There’s no doubt that Chester is the only freshman who was alive when the tradition of the RAT cap began in 1915.

Our nations’ veterans, including Chester, have all made tremendous personal sacrifices in the pursuit of freedom. We will never be able to fully repay them for their services, but we owe it to them to do all that we can. Watch this week's Ask Bob video to learn more about our work for veterans.