MINNEAPOLIS –Bill Doi didn't have many words to describe his emotions, but his expression spoke volumes.

At 100 years old, Bill has experienced a lot and been many places, but one place remained on his list: U.S. Bank Stadium.

Bill's daughter, Dede, explained that her father had been interviewed on a golf course – he remains an avid golfer – on his 99th birthday in August 2015.

"They asked him, 'What's next?' and his response was, 'My dream is to see the Vikings in the new stadium,' " Dede said.

Bill, along with part of his family, were guests at the Colts game Sunday. As he took in pre-game warmups from the sideline, Bill simply smiled and shook his head in disbelief.

"I'm just fascinated by it," he said. "The design of the building and all of the facility is just marvelous."

Dede recalled watching Vikings games growing up with her parents. Bill's wife, Peggie, was just as dedicated of a Vikings fan and her husband.

"My mom was actually the more animated one," said Dede of Peggie, who passed away in 2011 at the age of 95, just one month shy of the couple's 67th wedding anniversary. "They were always right there together, watching."

Bill has been a supporter of the Vikings "since forever" according to his family. He attended games at Metropolitan Stadium and closely followed his favorite players that included linebacker Matt Blair, Fran Tarkenton and Carl Eller, among many others.

Bill has also especially been a fan of Hall of Fame defensive tackle Alan Page, not only for his performance on the football field but for his post-career work as the first African American to serve as a Minnesota Supreme Court Justice.

Born and raised in rural Washington, Bill graduated valedictorian from his high school class and hoped to pursue an education in art. His goals were interrupted, however, in 1942 when more than 110,000 Japanese-American citizens living on the West Coast were ordered into internment camps. Bill, along with his father, older brother and sister-in-law and two younger brothers were given two weeks to pack their bags and dispose of their belongings before reporting initially to Pinedale Race Track. More than a month later, the family was then relocated to Tule Lake Camp in northern California.

Even after being interned at Tule Lake, Bill joined 34 other young men and volunteered for the Armed Services, upon which the group was sent to the Military Intelligence School (MIS) at Camp Savage, Minnesota. Unfortunately, Bill missed a portion of the six-month training program due to misdiagnosed tuberculosis and was unable to travel to the South Pacific with the other MIS graduates in his class. Rather, he was reassigned to Special Services. Bill served his country and retired as a Technical Sargent in Special Services and was discharged in 1947.  

Dede said her father has been extremely active in social justice issues, dedicating thousands of volunteer hours toward human and civil rights throughout his entire life, continuing into his elderly years.

In 1978, he spearheaded the 501(c)(3) MN Nikkei Project as a service group to recognize and honor the aging Issei (first generation Japanese who immigrated to the U.S.) living in Minnesota. Today, Bill is the oldest member of the same Nikkei Project that now predominantly serves the aging Nisei (second generation Japanese-Americans) living in Minnesota.

Bill has worked to make a difference, and Dede said that passion can be partially credited for his long life.

"If you ask him, he says, 'Just keep breathing,' " Dede said with a laugh, before adding that Bill has always been a physically active individual in addition to socially active.

"He did push-ups, and usually one of us kids was on his back," Dede recalled. "He'd do pull-ups on the clothesline, and he did exercises on the counter stools.

"He was doing push-ups until maybe three months ago," she added.

The Vikings recognized Bill at Sunday's game for his years of service to the United States and the State of Minnesota as well as his long-time dedication to the Vikings.

Dede said the day was incredibly special and meant so much for Bill and his five children.

"It's a dream come true for him," Dede said. "He's a loyal Vikings fan, whether they win or not. He just loves the team."