Major Willie J. Kucera, U.S. Army (Ret), born July 28, 1905, and died August 27, 2012, was a pioneer in the development of the Army and Air Force Post Exchange and Commissary Service. Recruited into the Army during World War II to run the PX and Commissary, he served in Germany, Italy, and Korea during his career. He managed the Fort Bliss PX and Commissary in the mid 1950's. Living in El Paso since his retirement in 1962, Kucera was active in the veteran community through his involvement in the Military Order of the World Wars until his death. At the age of 107, he was the oldest veteran in El Paso and one of the oldest in Texas and the United States.