LOUISVILLE, Ky. — One local WWII veteran was recently honored with a special opportunity.
Frank Waters lives at Morning Pointe of Louisville, an assisted living center, and through an organization called Dream Flights, he was able to fly in a biplane.
Waters served in the 669th Field Artillery Battalion in the Asiatic-Pacific Theater from 1944 to 1946. He was a gun crewman for medium artillery which supervised the handling and storing of ammunition.
For his contributions in WWII, Water received the Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal, Good Conduct Medal, Victory Ribbon and two overseas Service Bars.
“This dream flight was something else I won’t forget. I really felt special and it sure did mean a lot to me," Waters said. "When I was in the air, I felt young again. I might be aging but up there it was like I hadn’t aged a bit."
The idea to take him on a Dream Flight came from Morning Pointe of Louisville's Laura Carr. She contacted the organization to see if they had any available flights.
The flight took off from Bowman Airfield and lasted nearly 45 minutes. Carr says she sent a list of places to fly over that were important to Waters.
“I think it’s really important to honor all of our residents, but especially our veterans," she said. "We should always make sure they know that their sacrifice will never go unnoticed. It takes no effort to be kind. The best payment in the world I get from my residents is their smiles."
This isn't the only time Waters got the opportunity to relieve his experience in WWII, he has also taken trips to Washington DC through Honor Flight Bluegrass.
“My dad is a true southern gentleman. He is kind and friendly and loves living at Morning Pointe," Waters' daughter Lynn said. "He has made so many friends there and considers it his home. I appreciate all that Carr and the rest of the staff do to make my dad feel important and loved."
►Make it easy to keep up-to-date with more stories like this. Download the WHAS11 News app now. For Apple or Android users.
Have a news tip? Email assign@whas11.com, visit our Facebook page or Twitter feed.