Decorated World War II veteran aged 102 has died on his on his way to the 80th anniversary of D-Day in France a day after revealing how excited he was to be attending

A World War II hero died sadly while en route to France for the 80th anniversary of D-Day commemorations that were held this week. 

Robert ‘Al’ Persichitti, 102, served in the Pacific theater during the war and was an eyewitness to the raising of the flag at Iwo Jim by US Marines, a moment that became one of the most iconic images of the conflict. 

Persichitti was traveling to Europe alongside a group of fellow veterans with the National World War II Museum Group. In an interview with WROC in his native Rochester, the day before he left, he spoke of his excitement about traveling.

In 2019, Persichitti made a similar pilgrimage to Iwo Jima alongside his friend Al De Carlo. When asked to go to Normandy, the pair had no hesitation. 

‘I got ahold of my friend that went to Iwo Jima with me, Al Di Carlo, and he says: “Yes, we’re going.”‘ 

Persichitti said that his cardiologist even told him take the trip, despite his history of heart problems. On Friday, he became ill while on a boat in the North Sea. From there, he was taken by a helicopter to a hospital in Germany where he sadly passed away. 

Persichitti worked on communications aiding the operation in Iwo Jima 

Richard Stewart, president of the Honor Flight Rochester, a veteran’s organization of which Persichitti was a member, told The New York Times that the veteran was not alone when he died as he was with a doctor.

The physician played his favorite song by Frank Sinatra as he peacefully passed away. 

At the the time of the raising of the flag in Iwo Jima, Persichitti was a radioman second class on the command ship USS Eldorado, according to an online profile. 

In an interview with WDSU, Persichitti said that he worked in aiding communications for operations in Iwo Jima and in Okinawa.  

In 2020, he was named to the New York State Senate’s Veterans Hall of Fame. 

When he returned to Iwo Jima in 2019, Persichitti told Stars & Stripes that he ‘broke down.’ 

Speaking The Times, Richard Stewart described his friend as ‘fit and upright’ with ‘the complete faculties of someone who would be decades younger. He was really something.’ 

In the aftermath of World War II, Persichitti became a carpentry high school teacher in Rochester and was known for visiting local schools, giving talks about his experiences in the war.