US Navy D-Day veteran George Sarros was honored for his 99th birthday
US Navy D-Day veteran George Sarros was honored for his 99th birthday with lunch, cards, a song, and birthday cake by his fellow WWII veterans. The group’s ages range from 97 to 102.
Sarros served as a motor machinist on LST (Landing Ship, Transport) 515, delivering tanks, ambulances, and troops onto the Normandy beaches on D-Day and the days after, making 65 crossings of the English Channel taking wounded soldiers to hospitals in England.
- Harold Wellington served in WWII and during the Korean War. He served in the Merchant Marine, US Army, and US Navy.
- Myrl Jean Hughes served in the Pacific as a physical therapist in the US Army.
- Ed Cottrell was a P-47 fighter pilot in the Battle of the Bulge and after the war, as an ambassador/recruiter for the new Air Force Academy.
- Milt Fletcher fought in WWII’s last battle, the battle of Okinawa, and during the Korean War as a processor of new recruits for the US Army.
- Rufus “Pooch” Pace served right after the war during the occupation of Japan as a control tower operator in Irumagawa for the US Army Air Corps.
Top photo: Seated L-R, Harold Wellington, George Sarros, Milt Fletcher, & Pooch Pace. Standing, Myrl Jean Hughes & Ed Cottrell
The Veterans History Museum of the Carolinas invites WWII veterans to gather to get to know each other and celebrate special occasions several times each year. Their complete stories are in the museum’s book “We Shall Come Home Victorious.” Stories of World War II Veterans, available for purchase at the museum. The museum is located at 21 East Main Street in Brevard (next to the courthouse). Admission is free. The museum is open Tuesday – Saturday from 11am to 3pm. For information on how to honor your veteran with an Honor Wall plaque, please call 828-884-2141.