CHILLICOTHE, Ohio — A 100-year-old World War II Army veteran took a surprise ride in a restored World War II-era aircraft Tuesday, an honor arranged by Pickaway-Ross Career & Technology Center students who have spent the past year preserving his story.
David Lee’s flight, which took off from Ross County Airport, grew out of relationships built through Pickaway-Ross’ Voices of Freedom class, which interviews veterans and submits their accounts to the Library of Congress’ Veterans History Project, according to the career center.
Bobbi and Jeffery Hoffman, parents of Voices of Freedom students Laila and Makenzie, connected Lee with the program last year. Students interviewed him, and the recording was submitted to the national archive.
After several students and teachers attended Lee’s birthday party earlier this year, teachers Tea McCulla and Jennifer Widdig worked with students to plan a bigger celebration: a reception followed by a ride in a restored 1943 Taylorcraft L-2M. Pickaway-Ross culinary arts students developed and prepared the appetizer menu for the event.
Lee knew he was headed to a party but did not know about the flight until it was revealed, growing emotional before boarding the aircraft, the career center said.
Before takeoff, two Voices of Freedom students presented Lee with a commemorative blanket embroidered with the U.S. Army emblem and his dates of service, along with a collection of birthday cards made by Pickaway-Ross and Unioto Elementary School students.
Pilot Greg Miller flew Lee over the airport before banking over Unioto Elementary and the Pickaway-Ross campus, where students and staff gathered with birthday banners to wave as the plane passed overhead, according to the career center.
Miller and aircraft owner Stan Tansky donated the plane and fuel for the flight. Johnson’s Design Plus donated the embroidery work on the commemorative blanket, and Atomic Credit Union and Tim Wheeler Septic and Excavating covered the food and drinks, the career center said.
The information contained in this story was obtained from Pickaway-Ross Career & Technology Center.
