Saying goodbye to Normandy

On the final full day, veterans returned to Normandy American Cemetery for an 8:45 a.m. flag-raising ceremony held before the grounds opened to the public. The moment was quiet and somber as veterans Fred Nungesser, Keith Lancaster, Hibby Margol, and Calvin Shiner helped raise the flag. 

Afterward, the group traveled to Omaha Beach for lunch, where Ed Sandy stepped onto the sand for the first time since D-Day 82 years ago. On June 6, 1944, Ed served as a gunner aboard LCF-3, a Landing Craft Flak positioned just offshore, helping defend incoming forces with anti-aircraft fire. In the weeks that followed, his vessel supported rescue and transport operations along the Normandy coast. 

Upon returning to the hotel, Delta Airport Customer Service team members from Paris and Madrid transformed the space into an airport-style check-in experience, complete with bag drop and boarding pass printing, easing the process ahead of the special charter flight departing from Deauville.  

The next morning, the veterans enjoyed a final breakfast with students and team members from Delta, Best Defense Foundation and Michelin, many signing their autograph on booklets and keepsakes. Before the veterans boarded the aircraft from the Deauville airport, French schoolchildren sang “Amazing Grace” and “We’ll Meet Again” by Vera Lynn. 

While this year's program has come to an end, Delta will continue to foster connections between veterans and future generations through initiatives like the WWII Ambassador Program, where employees are paired with veterans through our partnership with tablet company GrandPad. 

Upon arrival in the U.S., more than 50 Delta employees from the Veterans Business Resource Group and In-Flight Service, in partnership with the Delta Sky Club team, volunteered their time to assist veterans, caregivers, rovers and medical staff during connections to their final destinations.