POLK COUNTY, Fla. — After serving in the Marine Corps for two decades, Central Florida veteran Kat Gates-Skipper now makes it her mission to help recognize and celebrate other veterans across the Sunshine State.

What You Need To Know

  • Former Marine now serves by celebrating other veterans

  • Kat Gates-Skipper says she just wants to make their lives better

  • The Central Floridian works to help vets get better services

  • She even works to ensure birthdays are not overlooked

As he walked into Lizzie’s Memphis Style BBQ in Kissimmee, veteran Richard McCollum was greeted with a chorus of birthday cheers. 

“Surprise! You didn’t know we was going to have all these people,” Gates-Skipper said. 

Everyone inside the BBQ restaurant was happy to be there, ready to celebrate the World War II U.S. Army veteran as he turned 100 years old. 

McCollum served in the 101st airborne from 1943 to 1945, even parachuting into D-Day. With a captive audience gathered around the table inside the restaurant, McCollum could recall details of his service easily. 

“So what happened when you ran out of ammunition? Who came to save you?” Gates-Skipper asked. 

“Patton," McCollum said, with a nod. 

Decades later, the U.S, Army-veteran said he’s happy to be with friends, family and fellow veterans for a little barbecue and birthday cake.

“I am overwhelmed by the love and home-like feeling from this group here,” McCollum said. 

The pop-up party, coordinated in part by Gates-Skipper, is one way the retired Marine continues to serve others.

“Anything to do with veterans is what I’m about,” Gates-Skipper said. 

She’s been passionate about service to country for decades now, breaking barriers when she first joined the Marines.

“When I went in, in the 70s, it was still gender-segregated, which meant the guys and the gals did not serve or didn’t try to do anything together," Gates-Skipper said. "So I helped pave the way back in the 1970s."

In the decades since then, she’s still finding new ways to make a difference in the lives of her fellow veterans.

“How I really started my advocacy, volunteering for the Concerned Veterans for America, when my husband was on a VA (Veterans Administration) backlog for almost eight years,” Gates-Skipper said. 

Since then, she has worked to get better care in place from the Veterans Administration and to throw birthday parties for veterans, among other initiatives.

“We still carry on and do what we can for our country, for our community and that means a lot to me," Gates-Skipper said. "That’s what I do. If I can help one veteran, then I know I’ve done something good on this Earth."