WWII veterans to join together again at 'patriotic reunion'

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Nine World War Two veterans who journeyed to Washington, D.C. in October to visit monuments dedicated to U.S. veterans will meet again on Dec. 4 at a reunion held to honor the recent trip they took to the capital as well as the service they provided long ago for the U.S.

Eleanor Rizutto, 100, of Franklin Square, and Dominick Critelli, 100, of Floral Park, both of whom ventured to the capital two months ago, are set to attend the reunion.

The “patriotic reunion” on Dec. 4 is being hosted by the American Airpower Museum in Farmingdale and is sponsored by Honor Flight Long Island, a nonprofit organization that flies American veterans to the nation’s capital. The event will run from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at hangar 3 of the museum.

The public is invited to the reunion, especially for a ceremony when each veteran will be presented with a personalized “tribute journal” filled with photos taken during the trip to the capital along with photos from the veteran’s time in the military.

“As time goes on, we forget what experiences were like,” said Bill Jones, president of Honor Flight Long Island, explaining that the organization provides veterans with the journals to cement long-lasting memories of the trip. In Washington, D.C., the veterans visited the WWII Memorial and Arlington National Cemetery. The journal, Jones said, provides the veterans with “a lasting memory of their day in Washington.”

“Of the 16 million Americans that served in WWII, only about 250,000 are still alive. That number declines with each passing day. It’s more important than ever to preserve this history and tell their story to a new generation of Americans,” said Robert Salant, a representative of both HFLI and the American Airpower Museum.

Honor Flight Long Island is accepting applications from veterans of World War II and the Korean and Vietnam wars. Visit www.honorflightlongisland.org for more information.

“It is the mission of Honor Flight Long Island to honor as many of our fellow Long Islanders who helped preserve our freedoms,” Salant said.