Dozens of World War II vets — including 107-year-old — fly to France ahead of D-Day anniversary
More than 60 World War II veterans jetted off to France from Dallas Friday to commemorate the 80th anniversary of D-Day.
The heroic group — ranging in age from 90 to a jaw-dropping 107 — were welcomed aboard the charter American Airlines plane by a crowd of grateful onlookers who waved the Stars and Stripes.
The group will take part in a busy multi-day journey that includes a wreath-laying ceremony at Suresnes American Cemetery, a trip to the Eiffel Tower and visits to several historic WWII sites.
They will also participate in a daily ceremony known as le Ravivage de la Flamme, which honors fallen French service members at the Arc de Triomphe.
The trip will culminate on June 6 — the 80th anniversary of D-Day — with ceremonies on Omaha and Utah Beaches, two of the Normandy landing sites for the Allied forces.
“We’re honored to play a part in helping this group of heroic veterans return to Normandy,” David Seymour, American Airlines’s Chief Operating Officer and a veteran of the US Army, said in a statement.
“This special journey is not only an expression of our gratitude for these heroes and the sacrifices they made for our freedom, but we hope to help shine a light on their extraordinary stories and preserve their legacies for generations to come.”
The group traveling from Dallas includes six Medal of Honor recipients from wars in Iraq, Afghanistan and Vietnam who wish to honor the World War II veterans.
There are also two Rosie the Riveters, representing women who worked in factories and shipyards during the war.
Almost 160,000 Allied troops, 73,000 from the United States, landed at Normandy on June 6, 1944, in a massive amphibious operation designed to break through heavily fortified German defenses and begin the liberation of Western Europe.
A total of 4,414 Allied troops were killed on D-Day itself, including 2,501 Americans. More than 5,000 were wounded.
More than 9,000 US service members have been laid to rest at the Normandy American Cemetery.
With Post wires
