93-year-old World War II veteran given chance to take to the skies, one more time

LAKELAND, Fla. - A 93-year-old World War II veteran is getting the opportunity of a lifetime, again. 

Bill Kelly was stationed on the Marshall Islands in 1943, where he worked as an aircraft mechanic, staying up all night repairing the massive bombers as they returned from missions all over the Pacific.

Recently, Kelly was given the chance to take a flight once more in a World War II-era B-17 bomber as the guest of honor.

“I thought my flying days were over,” he told Fox 13 Tampa. “I am pretty well advanced right now.”

Kelly’s flight was a lot shorter than the ones he took back in the 40s, but he says it still brought back memories from the old days. 

“Flying has been my second nature since I was 8 or 10 years old,” he said.