A Century of Service
WWII Veteran Sam Meyer Celebrates 102nd Birthday at Historic Family Hat Shop
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Sam Meyer will turn 102 years old on August 6, 2026 — and he plans to celebrate at the same New Orleans hat shop his grandfather opened in 1894. WAFB reported that Meyer has spent 80 years selling hats at Meyer the Hatter on St. Charles Avenue, making him one of the oldest active figures in American retail history.
Before he ever sold a hat, Meyer helped win a war. As a young corporal in the U.S. Army Air Corps, he landed at Omaha Beach weeks after D-Day in June 1944 and helped operate one of the first American tactical airfields in liberated France, KLTV reported.
From Omaha Beach to the Skies Over Normandy
Meyer was 18 years old when the Army drafted him in February 1943. He trained as a weapons specialist at Buckley Field in Colorado. By mid-1944, he was in France with the 485th Fighter Squadron of the 370th Fighter Group. His job was to arm P-38 Lightning fighter planes before every mission, according to Hawaii News Now.
The work was precise and unforgiving. Meyer told the Bollman Hat Company: "I knew we were fighting Hitler, who was doing terrible things to people... I was 18 years old, and my attitude was, 'Here I go to help!'" He loaded bullets and 500-pound bombs. If he tightened a wing nut too hard, the bomb would not release from the plane. His unit supported 110 operational missions, WAVE3 reported.
A Family Shop That Has Outlasted 132 Years of History
Sam's grandfather, Sam H. Meyer, opened "Meyer's Hat Box" in 1894. The original store was just 15 feet by 15 feet. It sold Stetson hats and silk ties. The shop survived recessions, the fall of formal fashion, and Hurricane Katrina. Today it sits at 120 St. Charles Avenue and is run by the fourth and fifth generations of the Meyer family, according to KCRG.
Sam returned from the war in January 1946 and went straight to work at the store. In the 1990s, he designed his own hat — a Stetson model called the Gulfport. It became one of the shop's biggest sellers. GQ magazine has named Meyer the Hatter one of the top specialty shops in the country, WIBW reported.
France Honored Meyer With Its Highest Award in 2024
In February 2024, at age 99, Meyer received France's Legion of Honor — the country's highest decoration. French Ambassador Laurent Bili presented the award. He said the honor is earned strictly on merit and that France owes a deep debt to the men who liberated it in 1944, WTOK reported.
The ceremony carried extra weight for Meyer. His late wife, Marcelle, was born in Nice, France. She emigrated to the United States in 1953 and later married Sam. The two were together for 64 years. Marcelle passed away on November 6, 2024, at age 97. Sam credits her with his long life, KOLOTV reported.
Five Generations Strong, With a Sixth Already Born
Sam's son Paul serves as president of Meyer the Hatter today. Paul told Biz New Orleans: "People have been wearing hats for at least 10,000 years... They keep the sun off in summer, they keep you warm in winter." Sam's son Michael and daughter-in-law Pascale handle bookkeeping and sales. His grandsons Cedric and Christopher work the floor daily, according to KCTV5.
A sixth generation has already arrived. Sam's great-granddaughter Margot was recently born, giving the 132-year-old shop a clear path well into the future. On August 6, 2026, the whole family plans to mark Sam's 102nd birthday right where it all started — behind the counter on St. Charles Avenue, WBBJTV reported.
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