Celebrating a Century

Chaldean-American hero and family treasure Peter Essa turns 100

By Crystal Kassab Jabiro

Private 1st Class Peter Essa was among the brave soldiers who stormed the beaches of Normandy on D-Day, June 6, 1944, under the command of General Dwight D. Eisenhower. Their mission was to liberate Western Europe from Nazi control and establish a second front against Germany.

Essa was shot in the ankle by a wooden bullet during the invasion. His sergeant carried him to safety, then ran back into battle, where he was killed just a few hours later.

Though D-Day marked a turning point in World War II, the Allied forces—American, Canadian, and British troops—did not defeat Nazi Germany until nearly a year later. During that time, Essa underwent several surgeries and was honorably discharged shortly before the war’s end.

He returned home to Detroit, where he had been born and raised, to reunite with his family.

Today, Essa holds a special place in history as the only surviving Chaldean-American World War II veteran. On June 8, he celebrated his 100th birthday. His strength and resilience as a teenage soldier shaped him into a devoted father, and his children say they could not have asked for a better man to raise them.

Paul, Essa’s eldest son, describes his father as a quiet man who rarely spoke about his time in the military. When he did, his stories left a deep impression.

“He said he was going to war to die,” Paul recalled.

But thankfully, Essa came home. As the only son among six sisters, he opened a grocery store to help support the family. He taught his children to never ask others to do something they wouldn’t do themselves and to always treat people the way they would want to be treated. Paul, now 65, still lives by that motto.

Essa’s legacy made a profound impact on his granddaughter Angelina, 24, who developed a love of history because of him.

“He’s like a walking encyclopedia, and every history paper I wrote, I took every opportunity to make it about him,” she said. “I asked him about the war, and the level of detail he was able to recall from his memory was play-by-play, like a movie almost. His stories never fail to send chills down my spine, and I am so thankful to have such an important piece of history in my immediate family.”

Essa’s second son and namesake, Peter, remembers his father sharing how brutal it was to watch his friends die in battle. Like his father, Peter, 62, became a grocer, and his fondest memories are of working side by side with him at Fiesta Market.

Peter’s daughter, Breanna, 20, cherishes simple moments—like her grandfather cutting up apples for her in the middle of the night or teaching her how to fish. He has a great sense of humor, too.

“Every time we’d go to the cottage with Nana and Baba, when we got close to the ice cream place, I’d ask, ‘Are we there yet?’ and Baba would say, ‘We already passed it!’”

George, Essa’s third son, now 60, also worked with his father at the family market. His favorite memories are of family trips up north in the fifth wheel and fishing with his dad. He believes his father’s wartime experience shaped him into a strong-minded man—and passed that strength on to his children.

George’s son, Luke, 15, treasures riding with Baba in his Ford Thunderbird during the annual Dream Cruise.

Joseph, Essa’s youngest son, 58, agreed.

“They don’t make them like my dad anymore,” he said. “He’s the best dad I could ever ask for.”

Joseph fondly remembers visiting Greenfield Village with his parents, where his dad pointed out the old Ford tractors he once worked on, assembling carburetors at the Henry Ford Trade School before being drafted. Joseph also cherishes their time together at the Dream Cruise over the past 15 years, where his father identifies the classic cars he once owned.

Essa’s only daughter, Theresa Jaafar, believes her father’s experiences taught him to appreciate life’s simplest moments.

“He never took anything for granted,” she said. “I think that’s why he was always so content with life. He taught me that tomorrow is not promised.”

Theresa also has a lighthearted memory of growing up as the only girl among her brothers.

“When all of us kids were in trouble, he would take us into the bedroom and pull out the belt. We’d all panic, and then he’d look at me and say, ‘You… you can leave!’”

Private 1st Class Peter Essa is a proud Chaldean-American veteran with a heart of gold.

“He is our hero,” Theresa said.

June 8 was not only Private Essa’s 100th birthday, but it was also his 67th wedding anniversary. His wife, Samira, feels thankful and blessed. “He is my love and my life,” she shared.