Seashore Highlands Retirement Home Vets Take Flight On WWII Plane

A group of veterans from a retirement community in Gulfport took a flight of honor, hundreds of feet above the Coast today, thanks to the Ageless Aviation Dreams Foundation. News 25’s Gina Tomlinson was there as the World War II planes landed today and shares their story.
World War II veteran Elaine Magano will turn 94 next week. The opportunity to ride in an open cockpit military plane was a great birthday gift and just a small token of appreciation for her time serving as a U.S. Navy nurse. “I took care of the boys and they were in such horrible shape. You’d want to cry when you walked down the wards, but you couldn’t cry. You had to smile.”
Elaine smiled with ease Wednesday, along with seven other veterans taking off to soar over Gulfport with the Ageless Aviation Dreams Foundation. The trip was an ideal opportunity for World War II veteran Lt. Ed Pullis to slip on his 1940’s flight suit from his time served in the U.S. Air Force. “For me it was a lot of fun to think of getting in an open cockpit airplane and having the wind blow.”
And a flight path down memory lane for these veterans who fought for our country in the skies. Air Force Veteran Sherman Muths said, “As soon as I get in the cockpit, I’m sure it will bring back some experiences.”
The plane was used to train military aviators in the 1940s. Once veterans got their flight equipment on, they were taken over a thousand feet above the Coast. Ageless Aviation Dreams Foundation Pilot Tim Newton said, “It’s just a nostalgic airplane. There’s something about an open cockpit airplane, you get people in there and it’s just fun.”
“To be appreciated is a good feeling,” said Magano.