World War 2 veterans honored on 79th VE Day

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WAVE) – Wednesday marked 79 years since Germany surrendered to the Allies, marking the end of World War II in Europe.

May 8 is known as VE Day for “Victory in Europe.”

Local chapter Kentucky Indiana Liberated Relics of Yesteryear, or KILROY, invited veterans to Bowman Field to be recognized. They were honored and thanked for their service during the war.

There aren’t many WWII veterans left, so Wednesday served as an important reminder that, when you see a veteran, to thank them for their service to the country.

“The numbers of members of ‘The Greatest Generation,’ they’re dropping fast,” Mario Maipid, KILROY Chapter President, said. “So we need to take every opportunity to recognize the individuals while they’re here with us. If you see a World War II veteran, and most of them, they wear their ball caps and all so that it’s easy to identify them, just thank them for their service and really mean it.”

According to Maipid, there were more than 20 WWII veterans in the Louisville area about four years ago. Now, there are just about six.

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