His voice trembled, but his words struck like thunder. “My friends gave their lives for what? The country of today?” asked 100-year-old war veteran Alec Penstone, leaving Good Morning Britain hosts speechless.

Alec had left his factory job as a teenager to fight for freedom in the Royal Navy. Many of his comrades never came home. But now, a century later, he says the nation they died for feels unrecognizable. “What we fought for was freedom,” he said softly. “But it’s a darn sight worse than when I fought for it.”

His heartbreaking admission comes as new polls show national pride at record lows and division at record highs. Fewer than half of Britons say they’re proud of their country — a sharp fall from just a few years ago. “We’ve become a fractured society,” one report warned, echoing Alec’s grief.

Co-host Kate Garraway tried to comfort him, saying, “It’s our job now to make it the country you fought for.” Alec smiled faintly. “It’s wonderful to know people still care,” he replied.

❤️ His words remind us that freedom wasn’t a gift — it was earned in blood. The question is, are we still worthy of it?