A 100-year-old World War II veteran from Ross County got the surprise of a lifetime this week when he climbed into a restored 1943 war-era airplane and took flight over the countryside he has called home for a century.
U.S. Army veteran David Lee of Frankfort recently celebrated his 100th birthday with family and friends. To mark the milestone, he was surprised with a flight in a meticulously restored 1943 Taylorcraft L-2M, flown by pilot Greg Miller, himself an Air Force veteran. The plane departed from the Ross County Airport, soared over Pickaway-Ross and other local schools, and made a lap around the region before touching back down to a crowd of friends and family.
Lee said he thoroughly enjoyed the ride and joked that he reached 100 years old and is only just beginning to live. From the air, he said, the homes and trees of Ross County looked beautiful. Miller said it felt fantastic to share the celebration with a fellow veteran.
Lee served his country during World War II, though he brushes it off as simply what any man would have done. After the war, he came home, married his sweetheart, started a family and built a life that now spans four children and more than 20 grandchildren, great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren. He went on to retire from the paper mill in Chillicothe.
When asked the secret to his longevity, Lee credits the Lord. He says he accepted Jesus into his heart many years ago and has felt blessed ever since. This is not the only recent honor for the centenarian: on July 4 he threw the ceremonial first pitch at a Cincinnati Reds game, and on October 1 he fired the cannon at the Columbus Blue Jackets’ season opener to celebrate his century of life. Now, a ride in a piece of living history joins the list of unforgettable birthday moments.