WWII Veteran Dies At 102 While Traveling To D-Day Event In France

[sheshe2]

A 102-year-old American World War II veteran died while traveling to Normandy, France, last week to attend a ceremony marking the 80th anniversary of D-Day, a veterans organization announced.

Navy veteran Robert “Al” Persichitti, of Rochester, New York, was aboard a ship heading to the coast of Normandy from Germany on Friday when he experienced a medical emergency. He was airlifted to a hospital in Germany and died shortly after, the organization Honor Flight Heroes said in a statement.

“A great, humble man who served his country bravely without hesitation,” the organization said of Persichitti, who was involved in the Allied operation in Japan and witnessed the raising of the American flag over Iwo Jima.

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“The doctor was with him. He was not alone, he was at peace and he was comfortable,” DeCarlo said. “She put his favorite singer, Frank Sinatra, on her phone and he peacefully left us.”

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/wwii-veteran-robert-persichitti-dead-normandy-trip_n_6661ff0fe4b091105f3a05c0
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[WarGamer]

1. Kind of ironic that a 102yo US war hero survivor dies on German soil.

[Irish_Dem]

5. He was a kid in the Pacific war theater, then ended up in the German one at age 102.

I think he would have wanted it that way given the life he led.

[WarGamer]

6. pretty wild...

We lost my Grandfather at a young age... drank himself to death.

He'd very rarely tell me war stories as a pre-teen.

Told me about a Kamikaze attack on his cruiser and he personally manned a fire hose on deck to push plane and human debris off the deck... noting it was pieces of a Japanese pilot.

Later in life read the history of his ship... involved in all the major fights from 43-45... Battle of the Philippine Sea, Iwo Jima, etc...

Fought off lots of kamikaze attacks, shelled inland targets and was targeted by Japanese surface ship guns, planes and even submarines.

[Irish_Dem]

8. Yes many came back with PTSD, drank too much to cover it up.

Most of the guys didn't talk about it much.
They couldn't.
And they didn't want to scare the wife and kids.
So they drank.

We didn't know much about PTSD back then.

Your grandfather was in some of the must bloody battles of the war.
He was very lucky to have survived it. We cannot even imagine what he went through.

My uncle was US Navy during the Battle of Guadalcanal.
His ship, the USS Meredith, was sunk in a matter of minutes when a large
group of enemy aircraft attacked it. There was a book written about it, I tried to read
it but it literally made me sick to my stomach, I had to stop reading.
I should have listened to my brother and not started it.

[WarGamer]

10. holy crap... terrifying. I can't imagine going into the water in wartime.

[Irish_Dem]

12. That is what worried me.

Uncle in the water with sharks.
Of course the sharks were the least of the problems.

My brother said he is sure our uncle was killed outright.
His job was on the bridge so would have been hit first.

The men on the USS Meredith fought fiercely to no avail.
It was all over so quickly, in ten minutes.

They were attacked by a force of 38 enemy bombers, torpedo planes, and escort fighters;
the ship was struck by an estimated 14 bombs and seven torpedoes.

The ship had been in a convoy bringing desperately needed supplies to the men fighting at the Battle
of Guadalcanal. Navy recon spotted a large squadron of enemy fighters and bombers headed their
way. All of the US Navy ships turned back except the Meredith, the captain was determined to save
the lives of US men on the islands.

The ship was sunk off the Solomon Islands, and I always hoped it might be found one day.
Then some years back here on DU, someone with expertise and knowledge of lost US Navy ships
in WWII, tactfully pointed out there was nothing left of the Meredith to ever be found.
So that was that.

Some might think this a bit sentimental, but that is how we are in our family.
We still drink a toast to our Uncle at every reunion.

[blue-wave]

18. Yes,

many came back with PTSD, my father included. He was an MP in the European theatre. Just from the few stories he related to me (it was hard for him to talk about), I could conclude he witnessed some real horrors of war. We lost him a few years back but I can say without doubt he was an active part of the greatest generation. I know some here are not religious, but I say God bless all the heroes, from any theatre of war!!

[Irish_Dem]

20. The bottom line is most of us respect, honor, and cherish what they did for us.

And the world.

We are in their debt.

[TSExile]

2. Thank you, sir.

Thank you.

[oasis]

3. R.I.P. Robert your heroism lives.

[Irish_Dem]

4. He died with his boots on.

Traveling to attend his last military event.

[iluvtennis]

7. Rest in Peace Robert "Al" Persichitti. May your Memory be a Blessing. n/t

[Groundhawg]

9. very sad. Thank you for your service, Sir.

[NoMoreRepugs]

11. Fitting that a Navy man started his final journey on a ship.

[electric_blue68]

13. RIP 🕯 Navy Vet Persichitti

[keithbvadu2]

14. He died doing something he respected. Not really a disappointment for him. Honorable service.

Farewell, shipmate.

[TomSlick]

15. Fair winds and following seas.

[betsuni]

16. K&R

[sprinkleeninow]

17. "Memory Eternal" nt

[calimary]

19. Remarkable man.

Remarkable sacrifice.