A veterans appreciation event touched down Aug. 15 and 16 at Aurora State Airport, with Portland-area World War II veterans receiving recognition and, for some, a ride in a historic plane.
The event, put on by Vital Life Foundation in partnership with Ageless Aviation and Providence Foundation, featured flights for select veterans in a Boeing Stearman biplane, which was used to train military aviators during the war, and group rides in a 1940s DC3 plane. The restored DC3 will actually be flying to Normandy, France next year to honor the 75th anniversary of D-Day.
The event also included kids’ activities, music, games, trivia and a ceremony that included a speech from Rishi Sharma, a 20-year-old California man who has dedicated his life to interviewing every living World War II combat veteran.
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