LOUISVILLE, Ky. — This year marks 75 years since World War II ended.
Of the 16 million men and women who served in WWII, only about 300,000 are still living.
Ten WWII veterans got the ride of a lifetime on Saturday.
The Honor Flight Bluegrass and Kentucky Veterans Program Trust Fund teamed up to bring the veterans to take off from Bowman Field in a B-25 aircraft Saturday.
“With it being the 75th anniversary of the end of WWII, we’re trying to honor our WWII veterans as best we can,” Honor Flight Bluegrass Chairman Jeff Thoke said.
Ninety-five-year-old Marine Corps veteran George Bradbury wanted to fly this type of plane when he was in the service, but didn’t get to.
Now, decades later he got to have that experience, even if just for an afternoon.
“I can’t believe I’m here,” Bradbury said. “I really appreciate having this done.”
Honor Flights to Washington D.C. were cancelled this year due to COVID-19, but the organization still wanted to give veterans a chance to take a different kind of flight.
“It was a wonderful experience, something that I’ll remember all of the rest of my life,” 93-year-old Army veteran Chester Kitchen said.
Kitchen is one of the younger WWII veterans who flew Saturday.
Like Bradbury, just after touching the ground, he was ready for another ride.
“I would do it again in a minute,” Kitchen said.
Contact reporter Rose McBride at rmcbride@whas11.com or on Facebook or Twitter.
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