PHOENIX — In the world of archery, the Vegas Shoot is billed as the world’s largest and most prestigious indoor tournament. It features 4,000 archers from 70 countries and all 50 states. Phoenix’s Charlie Johnson competed there for the fourth time back in March, where he defended his title as the tournament’s oldest participant. At 104 years old, the World War II veteran has become the Celebrity Centenarian of the Vegas Shoot.
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“The old age doesn’t bother me… I haven’t caught up with it yet. Because I still feel much younger than 104 years old,” Johnson said. “People ask me what’s my secret. I don’t know. I just think I lived a normal life.”
That’s putting it modestly. Johnson has seen a lot over the last century, but these days he’s happiest when he’s holding a bow and arrow and looking at a bullseye 20 yards away. He got hooked on archery through his golf buddies and now he spends at least one day a week sharpening his skills at the Papago Archery Range.
“The joy of archery is being able to say, ‘I’m an archer.’ That means a lot,” Johnson said. “And then the release — that’s the most beautiful part of it. The release and seeing the arrow sail. But staying focused? That’s hard.”
Johnson has been defying the odds his entire life. His grandmother was born into slavery, and he grew up on welfare in segregated Clarksburg, West Virginia. Of the 16 million Americans who served during WWII, less than half a percent are still with us today. In 2025, Johnson was honored as the Grand Marshal for Phoenix’s annual Veterans’ Day Parade.
“Being drafted, you’ve never been out of the state, hadn’t been no place and all at once you get a letter that said you gotta leave home, you gotta come and join the Army, and you’re looking around saying ‘why?’” Johnson recalls. “But I said ‘I’m gonna show ‘em. I’m gonna be the best damn soldier they’ve ever seen. And I meant it. I tried as hard as I could and that’s why I did so good in the Army.”
Johnson taught Morse code and worked as a truck sergeant delivering essential goods to the frontlines in the Pacific. He accepted every challenge the Army threw at him and danger was an afterthought.
“They put you on this ship to go across the Pacific and before I got out of sight of the Golden Gate Bridge, I felt like I wanted to die. I was so sick, seasick,” Johnson said. “We went all the way up the China Seas to Luzon and the Philippine Islands. We joined General [Douglas] MacArthur, and we followed him back down the Batangas. But I was on the way to Japan when they dropped the bomb on Hiroshima, so we came back [to the United States].”
Back stateside, Johnson settled in Cleveland, Ohio, where he continued a life of service as a deacon and hospital chaplain. His wife, Bonnie, has been his biggest cheerleader for the past three decades. Johnson will turn 105 years old in June and while he’s not revealing his secret to longevity, we know staying active and being social are essential. Johnson finished ahead of some competitors at this year’s Vegas Shoot but he wasn’t satisfied with his results, so he’ll keep aiming to improve in 2027. He admits there was an element of distraction with so many people wanting to take photos with him at the most recent competition. His passion for archery went viral and he reminds people from around the world that it’s never too late to do what you love.
“I love people and I love friends… I try to go good, now. I didn’t go to shoot and win nothing, anyway,” Johnson said. “I just enjoy archery.”
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