News10NBC year-in-review: Stories about veterans
ROCHESTER, N.Y. — The remains of two World War II soldiers were united with their descendants in the Rochester area thanks to DNA testing in 2024. Before that, multiple local WWII veterans returned to Normandy to mark 80 years since D-Day. Closer to home, the EquiCenter in Honeoye Falls connected veterans experiencing post-traumatic stress with horses to help them heal.
Those are some of the stories that News10NBC has covered in 2024 about the service and sacrifice of veterans. You can watch those stories with the links in this post. You can also see our year-in-review stories about generous and brave community members here. Happy New Year from the News10NBC Family.
Remains of WWII airman from Central NY identified after 80 years (Nov. 27)
A Rochester family is expressing gratitude for a recovery mission that has taken 80 years. Their uncle, Tech. Sgt. Lynn Farnham, was shot down over Germany during World War II, and his remains have finally come home. News10NBC met with Farnham’s nephew, Tom Farnham.
WWII veteran, 103, reflects on Veterans Day and memories of D-Day (Nov. 11)
News10NBC spoke with a 103-year-old veteran of World War II about what Veterans Day means to him. Jim Ingutti, a Navy veteran, served during the invasion of Normandy on D-Day. He was just 21 years old when he stormed the beach.
‘It means the world’: Family discovers long-lost WWII soldier through Army DNA testing (Oct. 25)
An American soldier, unknown for decades, was buried in Pittsford. The people surrounding the casket did not know they were his family until seven months ago. It was the Army’s DNA testing lab in Hawaii that confirmed the identity of Private Robert Cash. The results found his closest living relatives live in the Rochester area.
Mission Mustang: Wild horses help veterans heal (June 10)
The EquiCenter in Honeoye Falls pairs veterans battling post-traumatic stress with mustangs that were once wild. Tango, a mustang that came to the EquiCenter last year, has been working with Jeremiah Gerstner, a U.S. Marine. Sgt. Gerstner came back with trauma and has spent years searching for something that could help.
Two Rochester WWII veterans return from ‘trip of a lifetime’ to Normandy (June 10)
Family and friends of two local World War II veterans, Siegfried “Ziggy” Weinthal, an Army veteran, and Joseph Grossman, a Navy veteran, are celebrating their return to Rochester after taking a trip of a lifetime. They went to Normandy, France for the 80th anniversary of D-Day.
A 102-year-old veteran from Fairport died en route to Normandy, France for the 80th remembrance of D-Day. Robert “Al” Persichitti was airlifted off a ship in the North Sea last week when he started to get sick. His guardian, a retired teacher from Pittsford, spoke about Persichitti’s legacy, saying “he taught us how to live every day to the fullest and he left his tank empty.”
Monroe County relaunches nature-based therapy program for veterans (May 13)
Monroe County has brought back a nature-based therapy program aimed at aiding veterans in their transition back to civilian life. The program, which had previously seen success, operates on the principle that the great outdoors can offer therapeutic benefits, especially for those who served in the military.
