PEABODY — Saul Gurman, a World War II veteran, celebrated his 101st birthday with friends, family, and fellow residents at the Jeffrey and Susan Brudnick Center for Living on Thursday.

Gurman is a survivor of the sinking of the HMT Rohna and was awarded a Purple Heart for his service.

The Rohna, a British troopship, sank on Nov. 26, 1943 after it was attacked from the air and destroyed off the coast of Algeria. During its sinking, 1,138 men died.

The incident is known as one of the greatest mysteries of World War II because its survivors were sworn to secrecy for more than 50 years.

Gurman said he remembers hearing Tom Brokaw say, “Now, for the best kept secret of World War II,” on the radio in 2000 when he broke the story of the HMT Rohna, 57 years after the incident.

“It’s important to continue to get the news out because there’s hundreds of people that still don’t know what happened,” Gurman said.

Another 24 years later, he smiled and celebrated his 101st birthday with cake and ice cream.

On the day of his birthday, Gurman said he still feels young.

“I can’t get over how well I feel,” Gurman.

Gurman’s son Bob Gurman; daughter-in-law Martha Gurman; daughter, Debra Gurman; and granddaughter Jessica Wilson joined him for the celebration.

“I expected him to live this long only because he told me that he was going to live to 107,” Bob Gurman said.

Bob Gurman’s older brother, Steven, died in 2017, and Debra Gurman was involved in a car accident years ago, Bob Gurman said.

He said Saul Gurman made a commitment to his wife before she died that he would take care of their daughter.

Keeping his word, Saul Gurman worked until he was 96 years old while taking care of Debra Gurman.

“That has been the story of his life,” Bob Gurman said. “He gets up in the morning and tries to figure out ways we can make other people’s lives better, and that’s sort of what he’s lived for his whole life, is working toward making other people’s lives better.”