STEWART AIRPORT – Charles Gabrus,
a 91-year-old World War II veteran from Long Island, received a surprise
welcome at Stewart Airport near Newburgh on Saturday evening.
It was his first time on an airplane since he served as a waist gunner
in WWII on a B-24 Pandemonium. Gabrus was part of the 8th Air Force of
the 489th Bomber Group that was stationed in Halesworth, England.
Gabrus, center, is given a hero’s welcome
The welcoming party was courtesy of Honor Flight of the Hudson Valley
supporters and volunteers.
Gabrus arrived on the Jet Blue flight 0846 from Orlando at 6:12 p.m. and
was greeted by a crowd of supporters chanting his name, “Charlie!
Charlie.”
Gabrus said he was astounded by the crowd of supporters there and greatly
appreciated the gesture. “I tell ya, I can’t believe it. I
honestly, I can’t! Just wonderful; the people were so great. They
treat me like I was… I don’t know,” he said with a chuckle.
“I don’t know what else to say, just wonderful.”
Gabrus said he had been reluctant to travel by air since the war. He was
offered to take a trip on the next Honor Flight and given the necessary
paperwork to do so. He has never been on an Honor Flight, or even visited
the WWII monument in Washington, DC, for that matter. “No, no; it’s
very touching. That’s the reason I don’t go and haven’t
gone. It brings back a lot of memories that I more or less would like
to forget,” he said.
However, Gabrus, who currently lives with his daughter in Montgomery,
said he is considering going on the next Honor Flight.
