A 102-year-old World War II veteran dies en route to D-Day commemorations in Europe and is mourned

Carolyn Thompson, Associated Press

A World War II Navy seasoned was being mourned Thursday pursuing his decease while en way to France to commemorate nan 80th day of D-Day, a travel friends said he’d talked excitedly astir making.

Robert “Al” Persichitti of Fairport, New York fell sick during a extremity successful Germany past week and died successful a hospital, his longtime leader and friend, nan Rev. William Leone, said. Persichitti was 102.

“He’s been to astir of nan World War II remembrances down successful Washington and Louisiana, and he wanted to get to nan D-Day remembrance ceremony, too,” Leone, pastor of nan Church of Saint Jerome successful East Rochester, wherever Persichitti attended Mass each week, said by phone. “But nan Lord took him successful Germany. He was connected his measurement to France, but he didn’t make it.”

A friend who was walking pinch Persichitti said a expert was pinch him erstwhile he died connected May 30. “She put his favourite singer, Frank Sinatra, connected her telephone and he peacefully near us,” Al DeCarlo told WHAM successful Rochester.

The National WWII Museum successful New Orleans called Persichitti a “longtime friend.”

After enlisting successful nan U.S. Navy successful 1942, Persichitti was assigned arsenic a radioman to nan USS Eldorado and successful 1944 sailed to nan Pacific wherever he took portion successful nan invasions of Iwo Jima and Okinawa, according to nan museum. He was successful nan harbor astatine Iwo Jima to witnesser nan raising of nan U.S. emblem atop Mount Suribachi, and had returned location successful 2019, conscionable earlier his 97th birthday.

In an question and reply pinch WROC successful Rochester earlier he near for Europe, Persichitti said he’d been successful his cardiologist’s agency erstwhile he learned astir nan trip.

“And he says, `Go!’” he recalled his expert telling him.

“I’m really excited to beryllium going,” he said.

A retired nationalist schoolhouse teacher, Persichitti regularly said astir his wartime experiences successful schools and organization gatherings, Leone said. He besides wrote an autobiography for his family successful 2015.

Persichitti led nan Pledge of Allegiance astatine this year’s Memorial Day remembrance successful East Rochester.

“He wanted,” Leone said, “to support nan representation of nan sacrifices that had been made alive.”