Calkins: He's a 102-year-old American hero. And he bakes cookies, too.

Geoff Calkins On Demand: Just Posted

Calkins: He’s a 102-year-old American hero. And he bakes cookies, too.

Updated: July 05, 2026 5:53 PM CT

Luke McLaurine is a World War II veteran who’s lived through 40% of America’s 250 years. He’s a survivor of Nazi prison camps, flies a flag at his house and says daily doughnut consumption is the key to longevity.

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Geoff Calkins has been chronicling Memphis and Memphis sports for more than two decades. Calkins has been named the best sports columnist in the country five times by the Associated Press sports editors, but still figures his best columns are about the people who make Memphis what it is.

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