{"id":12457,"date":"2024-06-08T19:11:31","date_gmt":"2024-06-08T19:11:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/used82.com\/?p=12457"},"modified":"2024-06-08T19:11:31","modified_gmt":"2024-06-08T19:11:31","slug":"102-year-old-american-wwii-veteran-tragically-dies-while-traveling-to-france-for-d-day-commemoration","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/used82.com\/?p=12457","title":{"rendered":"102-year-old American WWII veteran tragically dies while traveling to France for D-Day commemoration"},"content":{"rendered":"

An American World War Two veteran sadly passed away as he was making his way to France to mark the 80th anniversary of D-Day.<\/p>\n

June 6 marked 80 years since Allied forces stormed the beaches of Normandy in what would be a pivotal moment in the Second World War.<\/p>\n

The landing, also known as Operation Neptune, is the single largest seaborne invasion in history.<\/p>\n

According to\u00a0History.com<\/a>, 4,414 Allied soldiers died on June 6, 1944, with 2,501 of them being American.<\/p>\n

D-Day was a turning point in the war. Credit: Three Lions\/Getty<\/em><\/p>\n

German casualties are estimated to have been between 4000-9000.<\/p>\n

D-Day was a successful operation for the Allies, as it marked a turning point in the war as the Nazi forces were pushed back through occupied France, and surrendered just over a year later.<\/p>\n

To mark the 80th anniversary of the historic battle, events took place throughout Europe, with some of the last remaining veterans who were there on the day heading back to the beaches that they stormed eight decades ago.<\/p>\n

102-year-old Robert Persichitti, from Fairport, NY, tragically did not complete his journey.<\/p>\n

The Navy veteran, part of a group associated with the National World War II Museum, had flown overseas and was on a ship bound for Normandy.<\/p>\n