Veteran takes to the skies to mark 102nd birthday

Article excerpt

Casey Bukowski, 102, returned to RAF Ridgewell in Essex more than eight decades after serving there during World War II, marking his birthday with a flight in a vintage aircraft. The veteran, who had trained at the base as a young airman, was welcomed back to the former Royal Air Force station, now a heritage site, for an emotional reunion. Bukowski's visit combined nostalgia with celebration, as he took to the skies once more in a period-appropriate plane. The trip underscores both the enduring bonds veterans maintain with the places where they served and the ongoing efforts to preserve Britain's aviation history.