MANCHESTER - Martin Roy will celebrate his 100th birthday with some very personal gifts that were earned rather than purchased.

Roy officially becomes a centenarian on Tuesday, which also happens to be Veterans Day. And in recognition of both, his family managed to get him replacements for some of the medals and ribbons he received for his service in the Navy during World War II.

"I was very surprised," Roy said, seated comfortably in a room full of family and friends at Intervale Country Club.

There were also some visitors who were there to thank Roy personally for his service and wish him a happy 100th. U.S. Sen. Kelly Ayotte, Mayor Ted Gatsas and Cmdr. David Kenney of the Navy Operational Support Center.

The family contacted Kenney months ago to see if there was any way to replace the service awards for her father-in-law on his 100th birthday.

Martin's son, Paul Roy, said he also sent copies of military records documenting the service of his father from 1943-45. Among the documents the family has preserved is a letter of thanks written to Roy shortly after he was honorably discharged from the Navy. The letter was signed by James Forrestal, who was Secretary of the Navy at the time and would be appointed the country's first Secretary of Defense.

On Saturday, Kenney presented Roy with a framed letter from the current Secretary of the Navy, Ray Mabus, congratulating him on his upcoming birthday and thanking him again. Roy held the framed letter on his lap throughout the ceremony and several rounds of photos with his children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

"He's having an overwhelming time," daughterin- law Diane Roy said. "We prepared him for it, but I don't think he quite understood what it was until we got here."

Roy was clearly enjoying the day, although he seemed a little surprised by the large turnout and the awards reissued by the Navy.

Kenney and two sailors who accompanied him capped the military portion of the day with a Navy salute to Roy, a surviving member of the USS Franklin crew.

Roy was on board the morning of March 19, 1945, when two bombs dropped by a Japanese pilot penetrated to the lower decks, causing explosions and widespread fires that triggered ammunition, bombs and rockets. According to the Navy, 724 died and 265 were wounded in the attack about 50 miles off the Japanese mainland.

The ship was dead in the water and listing, but about 700 surviving crew members voluntarily stayed aboard and saved "Big Ben."

"He was right near the explosion and he ended up crawling out of a porthole just to get away from the heat," Paul Roy said. "He got on catwalk on side of ship, walked to bow where they were commanded to throw all of the explosives that were left overboard."