A World War II hero who witnessed the raising of the American flag atop Mount Suribachi on Iwo Jima died Friday, May 31, while en route to France for the commemoration ceremonies marking the Normandy landings.
Robert Persichitti, a 102-year-old Navy veteran from Fairport, New York, suffered a medical emergency on board a ship en route to France for the 80th anniversary of the Normandy landings and was airlifted to a hospital in Germany, where he later died. according to 13 Boom.
Robert Persichitti, a 102-year-old World War II veteran, died Friday while en route to France to take part in memorial ceremonies marking the 80th anniversary of the Normandy landings.
His legacy:https://t.co/2Zbr86hHHL
— Stars and Stripes (@starsandstripes) June 4, 2024
Persichitti reportedly spent his final moments peacefully listening to songs by his favorite singer, Frank Sinatra.
“A doctor was with him. He was not alone and he was at peace and comfortable,” Persichitti’s friend and travel companion, Al DeCarlo, told 13 WHAM. “She typed the name of his favorite singer, Frank Sinatra, into her phone and he left us in peace.”
Persichitti is a Navy veteran who served as a radio operator on the USS El Dorado and served on Iwo Jima, Okinawa and Guam during World War II. according to Stars and stripes.
“I was on deck,” Persichitti told Stars and Stripes in an interview during a return to the area where he once served in 2019. “When I got to the island today, I just broke down in tears.”
Persichitti, who was 96 years old at the time, recalled the atrocities he witnessed and the numerous burials at sea that he attended. (Related: Final crew member of USS Arizona dies at age 102)
After the war, Persichitti became a carpentry teacher in Rochester schools.
Among those in attendance were D-Day 80th Anniversary Attending the Normandy American Cemetery were President Joe Biden, French President Emmanuel Macron and Britain’s King Charles. report Reuters.
