108-year-old WWII veteran pays special visit to DC memorial
WASHINGTON - One of the oldest surviving World War II veterans in the U.S. paid a very special visit to DC on Thursday. Bill Mohr, who is 108 years old, received a military welcome when he arrived at the National World War II Memorial.
On Friday morning, Mohr will attend the annual Veterans Day breakfast at the White House, which of course is hosted by President Barack Obama.
Mohr, who is from Hatboro, Pa., was honored with a military send-off and motorcade as he made his way to DC, thanks to the members of American Legion Post #255 of Sellersville, Pa. Traveling with his daughter Jodie and son Richard, Mohr was met by local veterans who escorted him around the memorial.
Mohr served as a sargeant and member of the 381st Replacement Company European Front, 45th Infantry from 1943-1945. He served in in North Africa, Italy, France and Germany. He was awarded the Legion of Honor, Chavelier by the French government for his service in the Beachhead Invasion of St. Tropez in August of 1945.
He and his twin brother Joseph were born in October 1908-- the same year the Cubs won the World Series. He enlisted in the Army in 1940, and was honorably discharged in 1946 due to a back injury, which left him unable to walk for two years. He married his wife, Josephine in 1943, and they had four children. The Mohrs were married for 72 years before her passing in 2015 at the age of 98.
Mohr still lives in the same home he built in 1948, and now spends much of his time reading, doing crossword puzzles, and writing poetry. In fact, a book of his poems was published when he was 90 years old.
A GoFundMe site has been created to help raise additional money to support the cost of Mohr's care, which exceeds his monthly VA and social security income. Click here for a link.