Occupy Century Aluminum is not your typical 99-percenter occupation. The average age of the occupiers is 70 and they have a clear message: Give us our promised healthcare back! Grandparents and retirees of Century Aluminum in Ravenswood, W.Va have been camped out around the clock in bitter winter weather since Dec.18th fighting goliath Aluminum manufacturer Century for the reinstatement of their lifetime healthcare benefits after they were cancelled by the company in 2010. After promising lifetime benefits for retirees, Century closed the smelter here and told the workers they would no longer provide healthcare coverage. This, even though decades before in contract talks with the company, union workers agreed to take an hourly pay cut, with the difference put into an account for lifetime healthcare after retirement. Century took that money, $25mil + and then cancelled their insurance in 2009. Now these retirees are fighting back against this most blatant act of corporate greed and theft, and it looks like they have the full support of the governor and legislators in the state.

Mac McDaniel of Ripley, W.Va. makes early morning coffee for the occupiers at the Occupy Century Aluminum camp after braving a night of bitter temperatures. McDaniel, 66, retired from Century in 2000 with 34 years at the company.

An Occupy Century Aluminum protest sign next to the groups camper nicknamed "The White House".

Karen Gorrell, leader of Occupy Century Aluminum speaks with retirees at their camp near the entrance to the Century Aluminum smelter in Ravenswood, W. Va. Karen decided to take up the fight against Century after a meeting one night called to discuss the termination of their promised lifetime healthcare benefits at the local #5668 United Steelworkers union hall. Outside she met Bryce Turner a retiree and his wife. Turner told her he didn't know what he was going to do without healthcare, having been just diagnosed with leukemia. It was then she says, that she had to do something. With inspiration from the Occupy movement spreading across the country, she, with the help of other Century retirees, decided to start their own occupation. The man who inspired her to take up the fight, Bryce has since died but she and the other occupiers carry on the fight for their lives and in his honor.

Karen Gorrell, leader of Occupy Century Aluminum speaks with retirees at their camp near the entrance to the Century Aluminum smelter in Ravenswood, W. Va. Karen decided to take up the fight against Century after a meeting one night called to discuss the termination of their promised lifetime healthcare benefits at the local #5668 United Steelworkers union hall. Outside she met Bryce Turner a retiree and his wife. Turner told her he didn't know what he was going to do without healthcare, having been just diagnosed with leukemia. It was then she says, that she had to do something. With inspiration from the Occupy movement spreading across the country, she, with the help of other Century retirees, decided to start their own occupation. The man who inspired her to take up the fight, Bryce has since died but she and the other occupiers carry on the fight for their lives and in his honor.

A protester donned in an Obama mask waves to cars passing by the camp. Located in the median along State Route 2 and Century rd., the camp is flanked by speeding auto traffic on one side and coal-hauling train traffic on the other. Just beyond the train tracks, barges haul West Virginia coal down the Ohio river.

Across the rural landscape of Ohio, the Century Aluminum smelter can bee seen just across the Ohio river in West Virginia.

Ron "Ripcord" Dixon from Evan, W. Va. retired from Century in 2005 after 29 years as a Millwright with the company. Dixon works closely with Occupy Century Aluminum leader Karen Gorrell, often traveling with her to Pittsburgh to meet with union lawyers representing them, as well as to meetings at Century's headquarters in California to speak on the group's behalf.

Occupy leader Karen Gorrell updates Jason Miller, local president of the United Steelworkers of America (USWA) local #5668 at the camp about what is happening in negotiations with Century and their lawyers.

Roy Dailey, 76, of Galliopolis, Oh. laughs with fellow occupiers at the camp. He says he usually spends a few days at a time here at the site helping keep vigil and their message alive. Roy worked as a Millwright for 20 years at Century's smelter before he retired in 1997.

Charles Smith, "Smitty" to his friends, cuts up firewood with Roy Dailey at the Occupy Century Aluminum camp. With temperatures dipping into the single digits during the winter months, keeping wood stocked for the barrel fire at the center of the camp is a necessity.

The shadow of Roy Dailey crosses an Occupy Century Aluminum sign in the early morning sun.

Charles Smith, "Smitty" to his friends, cuts up firewood with the help of other occupiers at the Occupy Century Aluminum camp. With temperatures dipping into the single digits during the winter months, keeping wood stocked for the barrel fire at the center of the camp is a necessity.

Karen Gorrell hands out pizza sent by US Senator Jay Rockefeller (W. Va.) for the people at the Occupy Century Aluminum encampment. According to Gorrell, the movement has the full support of the governor and state legislators who have voiced their solidarity with them.

After having a lunch of pizza sent by US Senator Jay Rockefeller's office, Karen Gorrell holds out her phone on speaker while the occupiers yell a round of "Thank You's" to Wes Holden, constituent services director for the senator's office, on the other end.

A frozen line of laundry at the Occupy Century Aluminum camp.

Charles "Smitty" Smith, a Century retiree who worked for the company for 31 years, tells a story to other retirees at the camp. Although he did not work at Century, Rick Gilmore, a retired coal miner, sits next to him and comes out to the camp often, in a show of support for, and solidarity with, the group.

Frank West hugs the group's leader Gorrell after an emotional speech she gave to them at the Occupy Century Aluminum camp.

Boyd Baisden, 78, of Sandyville, W. Va. sits at the Occupy Century Aluminum camp. Next to him, the phone numbers of fellow occupiers are written on a chipboard wall, in case anyone needs to reach them in an emergency.

Mac McDaniel, 66, tends the evening fire at the Occupy Century Aluminum camp in Ravenswood. McDaniel often takes overnight shifts at the camp to keep things going. He says there are always at least two people, many times more, out here spending the night because of their age. "We are gettin' up there in years. You never know when something could happen to one of us." As Mac put's it, "Every day I wake up lookin' at plaster and not roots hangin' above me, is a good day."

With the camp's 10-foot lighted cross in the background, Roy Dailey listens, and tells, stories around the fire barrel well into the evening.

The leader of Occupy Century Aluminum, Karen Gorrell tells about the prospect of retirement without healthcare, " I ain't as young as I used to be. I got chest pains from all this. Problem is, I just gotta breathe through them cause I can't go to the doctor."

The reopening of the Century Aluminum smelter in Ravenswood is seen as a must for Jackson county W. Va. After the company closed down major production in 2009, it only kept a small staff to maintain the facility. As a result of the closure the county suffered a major economic downturn.

On February 8, 2012, the newly appointed CEO of Century, Michael Bless (left) along with John Hoerner, vice president of North American operations (right) visited the Occupy Century Aluminum camp. Here, Karen tells the executives the difficulties all Century retirees are going through without the healthcare benefits they were promised, and paid for, with decades of loyalty to the company.

While showing the Occupy Century Aluminum sweatshirt to Century CEO Michael Bless and John Hoerner during their visit to the camp, Karen points to the sleeve where a driving force for their cause, retiree Sam McKinney's name is printed. "Sam attended a retiree meeting about the loss of our benefits almost a year ago. Sam was distraught about his ailing wife and how he was going to take care of her. Sam has always been a poster child for our fight because tragically, he left our meeting and traveled to Parkersburg to have Valentine's dinner and following dinner, they went to the car and Sam never got in - he dropped in the parking lot and was gone within minutes," she writes on her Facebook page.

Hours before a visit by Century's CEO Michael Bless (left) and V.P. of North American Operations John Hoerner (right), Karen told the occupiers waiting at the camp that all discussion with the executives must avoid confrontation and be limited to friendly chat. After their arrival however, CEO Bless, told the group that all topics were open for discussion, good and bad. With that, Karen lays out the group's history, grievances and demands to them.

Karen speaks in no uncertain terms to Century CEO Michael Bless during his visit to the camp about the disastrous affects axing retiree benefits by his company has had on their community of 500 families.

Although the talk was heated and emotional at times during his visit, both Karen and Century CEO Bless hug afterward and thank each other for their honest and open discussion. As Bless and Horner left the occupy site, many were cautiously optimistic about the possibility for a decent settlement. Later that evening after Karen spoke with representatives from Century and the United Steelworkers Union representing the retirees, she was both devastated and furious at the company's initial offer which was far below what the retirees were asking for. That's when she came up with the saying, "No Peanuts for Century Retirees," which became the rallying cry during further negotiations with Century.

After 75 days of winter occupation outside the entrance to the Century facility and almost three weeks to the day after Century executives Michael Bless and John Hoerner visited the Occupy Century Aluminum camp, a deal was finally struck on Feb. 29, 2012. Century will settle with the retirees by contributing $40 mil in cash over 10 years to a Voluntary Employee Benefit Association (VEBA) plan that will provide health insurance and other benefits to retirees, with another $27 mil to be added based on the price of aluminum traded on the London Metal Exchange (LME) .

After the announcement that Century has met the demands of retirees at Occupy Century Aluminum to restore funding for their healthcare and retiree benefits, a core group of occupiers spend their last night celebrating in the camp that has been their home for the past 75 days. Walter "Peachy" Skeen (left) a 70-year-old Century retiree, jokes with "Hoot" Gibson (center) and Ron "Ripcord" Dixon (right).

Karen spends a final night by the fire reminiscing about the group's struggle and celebrating their win over the corporate giant Century Aluminum. In her Facebook post that day she writes, "The retirees are overwhelmed that the "little people" could dance with the big boys and win the justice we were seeking. It is an amazing story of how all can unite behind a common cause and if you TRULY believe, you really can make a difference. The good Lord was our leader and he showed us the way because we were on the right side of this fight. The lesson to be learned is this "All things are possible if you only believe". Never, ever give up, no matter how long the journey."

Retirees Bob Blare, 75 (left) and Roy Dailey, 76 (right), begin the process of tearing down tents in the camp which they set up Dec.18, 2011 at the entrance to the Century Aluminum smelter.

Charles "Smitty" Smith, pauses for a cup of coffee during the takedown of the camp.

After Century's initial offer to the retirees was far below what they were asking, "Insulting is the word," their leader Karen Gorrell says, the group adopted the slogan, "No Peanuts for Retirees."

After spending the past 75 days, off and on with each other at the Occupy camp, retirees Bob Blare (left), Mac McDaniel (center) and Roy Dailey (right), pull up stakes and pack up their tents.

After claiming victory over Century Aluminum and with bad weather approaching, retirees work quickly to take down their camp.

One of the occupiers' main rallying cries was that Century had "blood on their hands" and were responsible for actually causing the death of two retirees. Two men from the group passed away because they didn't have the healthcare that was promised to them by the company when they retired.

"Hoot" Gibson, nominated by the group as CEO of Occupy Century Aluminum, folds up his sleeping cot and packs up his truck Friday morning. After more than 70 days as CEO, he finally resigned, pulling in a severance package of two bags of potatoes.

Charles "Smitty" Smith (left) and Roy Dailey (right) take down the American flag at the Occupy Century Aluminum camp March 2, 2012 in Ravenswood, W. Va. Occupiers broke camp after Century caved to their demands with a $67 mil settlement to refund healthcare that will benefit 500 families in the community. The group occupied the site at the entrance to the Century Aluminum smelter for 75 days in protest of company's actions that eliminated their retiree healthcare benefits.

While helping to breakdown the Occupy Century Aluminum camp, Jim Weltner takes out his sleeping bags and closes the door on the camper that was positioned at the front of the site in Ravenswood, W. Va. Nicknamed "The White House" this camper has been home to many occupiers staying the night during the group's more than 70 day protest occupation. The group broke camp March 2, 2012 after Century caved to their demands with a $67 mil settlement to refund healthcare that will benefit 500 families in the community.

A pile of protest signs that were once posted throughout the Occupy Century Aluminum camp and along the roadside, now wait to be burned in the fire barrel as the occupiers break camp.

A spot where one of the main tents at the Occupy Century Aluminum camp once stood. Although the tent has been packed away, Jim Weltner still walks around the spot where it stood for more than 70 days during their protest occupation.

Occupy Century Aluminum leader Karen Gorrell walks around smoke plumes as protest signs burn in the fire barrel while retirees break down camp after their $67 mil victory against corporate giant Century Aluminum.

Waving to a passing freight train running alongside the Occupy Century Aluminum camp, Mac McDaniel (right) and Bill Stephens (foreground) give a thumbs up as it blows its whistle.

Bob Blare (left) and Jim Weltner (right) take down two of the remaining Occupy Century Aluminum signs that stood at their camp for more than 70 days outside the entrance to the Century Aluminum smelter in Ravenswood, W. Va.

Karen Gorrell, leader of the Occupy Century Aluminum retirees, takes a break from tearing down camp to talk on the phone with fellow occupier Frank West. West was speaking from the hospital nearby after having a pacemaker implanted. In a heartfelt conclusion to their occupation, Gorrell writes in a post on the group's Facebook page, "We took down our occupy site today and I am confident there were a few tears wiped away by several. Even though we are on cloud nine with happiness for our victory, it was sad leaving what had been our home for almost three long winter months, sharing glad times and bad times and sad times, we are a family that is united by the heart. We have much work to do in the future together, but it is a time we will never forget. In the spring we plan to purchase a monument that says "Mama "K" and the retiree army lived here. It is just a busy intersection in the middle of nowhere it seems, but it will always have special meaning for us. We love you all and when we have our victory party, after this is all said and done, we will invite you all to share."