Orlando World War II Veteran honored at Winter Park Memorial Day ceremony
Monday, dozens of veterans were honored in Winter Park with a service to remember military heroes who died serving.
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The service was held at Glen Haven Memorial Park and started at 10:30 a.m. with music by the VFW Post 2093 Community Band.
There was a wreath-laying and a rifle salute, and veterans got to meet each other.
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“It’s just a wonder, wonderful feeling when you see a couple of veterans that have been in it together and are fighting it through and give each other a big hug,” said Mel Jenner, World War II Veteran.
Jenner, who attended the ceremony and reflected on the day he flew over the coast of Normandy, France, on D-Day, June 6th, 1944.
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“There must have been five or six thousand ships of all different sizes. And some had people on them troops in them, tanks were in water. You look down you see four or five tanks, and you turn your head and look back and they were gone. They sunk,” said Jenner.
Jenner said he flew in a B-17 Bomber supporting a mission to take pictures of the success and losses of the Allied invasion.
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Mel Jenner served in the 8th and 9th Air Force, surviving 45 aerial combat missions. He later served in the Air Force in Korea and Vietnam.
On May 31st, Jenner, the 101-year-old veteran, will return to Normandy with 69 other World War II veterans and their guardians as honored guests of American Airlines on a charter flight to honor them for their service and sacrifice.
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