On Wednesday, March 29, our veterans residing at Prestige Senior Living at Mira Loma were honored in a special ceremony put on by the Nevada Department of Veterans Services.
Among the honorees was 102-year-old World War II Army veteran Lester McCants. Mr. McCants was one of the first pilots to train under the Tuskegee Airmen and went on to serve his country for two decades.
Local news outlets came to cover the special ceremony and speak to Mr. McCants, and you can see stories from Channel 8 News Now and KTNV TV.
Mr. McCants was one of the first Black pilots to fly solo from the U.S. to Asia. He also served in Germany (1946) Japan (1953), Korea (1954), Lebanon (1958), and Cuba (1963). During his career he received numerous awards: Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, Army Aviator Badge, Senior Army Aviator Badge, WWII Victory Medal, Italian Merit of War and Air Med just to name a few.
He has also received commendations from President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama.
After serving his country in the air, later in life Lester and his late wife Lucy saw the world by sea, as the couple loved taking cruises around the world.
Congratulations to Lester and all our veterans, and thank you for your service!