Army veteran Andy Negra almost missed his chance to return to Normandy’s beaches because he didn’t have a passport.

Ms. Negra, who was born in Brownsville, Pennsylvania, said the midwife who gave her birth did not provide a birth certificate. Decades later, Sabrina Cornelius, executive assistant for global sales at Delta Air Lines, stepped up to help her.

Cornelius helps two veterans, Negra and Jimmy Doy, obtain passports a few weeks before they are scheduled to depart for Normandy from Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport to mark the 79th anniversary of D-Day on Tuesday. I was able to

Cornelius said, “It’s a very heartwarming story.” “I am truly honored. It was a once-in-a-lifetime thrill to be a part of this event. increase.”

The flight, a joint venture between Delta Air Lines and the Best Defense Foundation, will be the second time a U.S. passenger airline will operate direct flights to Normandy after last year.

Former NFL player Donnie Edwards, founder and chairman of the Best Defense Foundation, said, “Giving them a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, even at their advanced age, is a tremendous honor for us and the members of our team. That’s it,’ he said. “We are truly honored to offer this experience to all WWII veterans.”

A total of 43 veterans participated in the trip. A few fought in Normandy on D-Day, but all served during World War II. A marching band from Henry County Dutchtown High School led a procession through the airport’s international terminal, while other attendees inside the terminal clapped and took pictures.

Activities planned for the veterans included a June 1 arrival ceremony, followed by a series of dinners, parades, awards ceremonies and trips to Normandy beaches, Edwards said. .

“I am very happy to see how the children feel attuned and proud to meet and connect with WWII veterans,” he said.

Negra was drafted at age 19 and “did what I was told,” he said.

He landed at Utah Beach on 18 July and participated in the Battle of the Bulge while serving in the 6th Armored Division. This year he returned to Normandy for the first time in 79 years.

“The strangest thing is when I landed on Utah Beach, I was greeted by an American who lived four houses away from my hometown,” he said.

Before being drafted, Doi lived in California. Immediately after the attack on Pearl Harbor, Doi was sent to the Gila River War Relocation Center in Arizona because he was of Asian descent.

He then served in Italy with the 442nd Regimental Combat Team. When the war in Europe ended, he reenlisted, hoping to go to Japan to find his parents, which he did.

Veteran John “Jack” Foy landed in France after the D-Day invasion and served in General George Patton’s Third Army. Like Negra, Foy fought in the Battle of the Bulge.

“By the time we got to Normandy, we had Normandy,” Foy said. “Everyone was so patriotic at the time that I signed up as soon as I turned 18. That’s what everyone did.”

Foy has been back to France several times and was still excited to be back there for her D-Day anniversary.

“It means the world to me,” he said.