On April 29, 2026, at 101, WWII veteran Jose Noe Mendez returned to the skies, reconnecting with the aircraft that shaped his early military service. To mark his birthday, the Commemorative Air Force (CAF) Maxine Flournoy 3rd Coast Squadron partnered with Vintage Air Tours to arrange a commemorative flight over the Texas Coastal Bend. The flight, operated by Vintage Air Tours in a historic aircraft, echoed Mendez’s wartime experience as a young Navy trainee working on similar engines more than eight decades ago.
Mendez entered service at 17, training at a Navy aircraft engine school near Corpus Christi, where he stood out as a skilled mechanic. He later deployed to Europe, serving seven months on the front lines during WWII, including combat in the Battle of the Bulge. Wounded in 1945, he spent months recovering in England. His decorations include the Purple Heart and three battle stars for the Hürtgen Forest, Ardennes (Bulge), and Central Europe campaigns.
(Image credit: KRIS 6 News)
On his birthday, Mendez flew in a Boeing PT-17 Stearman—an aircraft type he once supported—passing landmarks such as the USS Lexington. The experience, he said afterward, simply “took him back.” The flight was made possible by Vintage Air Tours, a Rockport-based operator specializing in historic aircraft experiences, in coordination with CAF volunteers. The effort is part of the CAF’s broader initiative to fly at least 1,000 veterans, preserving the stories of the Greatest Generation through firsthand experience. For more information about the (CAF) Maxine Flournoy 3rd Coast Squadron, visit www.thirdcoastcaf.org. For more information about Vintage Air Tours, visit www.vintageairtours.com.
(Image credit: KRIS 6 News)
