AKRON, Ohio — Robert Sabetay, a U.S. Army veteran who served for two years during World War II, will return to France for the 78th anniversary of the storming of the beaches of Normandy on D-Day in 1944.
Sabetay, also known as 'Bud,' resides in Akron and will depart Tuesday morning.
The Best Defense Foundation is taking Bud and 29 other WWII veterans to Normandy for the 78th anniversary of D-Day.
Sabetay was sent to Europe for World War II when he was 19-years-old, just a year after he was drafted into the U.S. Army. Originally, Bud served as a radio operator, but transitioned into the infantry right before the Battle of the Bulge.
"On Christmas Day, I went into the Battle of the Bulge and the infantry," said Sabetay. "I had a week's training in the infantry and went in."
Sabetay reflected on his experiences during WWII with 3News, which are extensively written in his book, "Memoirs of an American Jewish Soldier."
Most of the veterans traveling to France are returning for their first time, including Bud.
"The Best Defense Foundation has been sending our veterans back to the battlefields not just in France, but in Belgium, in Germany, Pearl Harbor and Iwo Jima," says Rich Riley, an avid supporter of veterans and guide for Bud on the trip.
Riley, from Strongsville, has met Bud a few times, but has developed a friendship ahead of their week-long trip.
"Their generation gave so much and to go back and experience this first hand with these heroes, it's an opportunity of a lifetime, it's humbling beyond description," Riley said.
Sabetay told 3News he looks forward to joining other veterans on the trip.
"I'll be with fellow soldiers that fought in the war and they're all my age, either older or younger and I'll be looking forward to that," says Sabetay.
The trip, organized by the Best Defense Foundation, is free for the veterans.
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