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\n Robert Persichitti, a 102-year-old World War II US Navy veteran, died last week while on his way to France to commemorate\u00a0the 80th anniversary of D-Day<\/a>, according to Honor Flight Rochester, a veterans organization.\n <\/p>\n \n Persichitti\u00a0was\u00a0a \u201cwonderful, pleasant, humble\u00a0guy,\u201d who was \u201ceasy to talk to,\u201d\u00a0said\u00a0Honor Flight Rochester President and CEO\u00a0Richard Stewart, who told CNN he learned of his friend\u2019s death last Friday.\n <\/p>\n \n \u201cWe miss him,\u201d said Stewart.\n <\/p>\n \n While Persichitti passed away bound for Normandy \u2014 where the Allied forces\u2019\u00a0landing on June 6, 1944<\/a>, laid the foundation for the defeat of Nazi Germany \u2014 he served in the Pacific as a radioman aboard the USS Eldorado, Stewart said. His tour of duty included Iwo Jima, Okinawa and Guam, according to Stewart and\u00a0the New York State Senate Veterans Hall of Fame<\/a>, into which Persichitti was inducted in 2020.\n <\/p>\n \n Persichitti fell ill\u00a0last week\u00a0during a stop in Germany while headed for Normandy,\u00a0Al DeCarlo, a friend who was traveling with Persichitti, told\u00a0CNN affiliate WHAM<\/a>.\u00a0Persichitti was airlifted to the hospital\u00a0and\u00a0died soon after, DeCarlo said.\n <\/p>\n