'Let’s Do It!': 101-Year-Old WWII Veteran Soars in Vintage Biplane

Jim Sharp, an Army veteran who fought in the Battle of the Bulge and served as Sergeant Guard at the Nuremberg Trials, was honored with a free Dream Flight.

MANHATTAN, KS, UNITED STATES, September 30, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- The World War II Army veteran who fought in the Battle of the Bulge and later served as the Sergeant Guard at the Nuremberg trials didn’t hesitate when offered the chance to fly in a vintage open-cockpit biplane.

“Let’s do it!” said 101-year-old Jim Sharp to his friend Alan Zeitvogel, Commander of American Legion’s District 11, who helped coordinate the flight. Less than 24 hours later, on Sept. 27, Sharp was airborne in one of nonprofit Dream Flights’ restored Stearman biplanes, soaring 1,000 feet over Manhattan and nearing his alma mater, Kansas State University, where he studied on the GI Bill.

The adventure was courtesy of Dream Flights, a Carson City, Nev-based nonprofit that honors veterans living in senior and assisted living communities with free flights in restored WWII-era aircraft. Since 2011, Dream Flights has honored nearly 8,000 senior veterans—from WWII through Vietnam—across 49 states.

“Dream Flights is about honoring heroes like Jim Sharp—the men and women whose courage defended our nation and safeguarded the freedoms we cherish,” said Dream Flights Founder Darryl Fisher. “A Dream Flight is our way of saying thank you to our senior military veteran heroes.”

Sharp enlisted in the Army at the age of 19 and completed his basic training at Fort McClellan in Alabama before his deployment to France. He fought in the Battle of the Bulge with the 1st Infantry Division, and in Belgium, Luxembourg and Germany.

As the Sergeant of the Guard at the Palace of Justice in Nuremberg, Germany, where top Nazi leaders during World War II were put on trial for war crimes, he was responsible for security in the courtroom, prison cells, and exercise areas. Sharp’s commendations include three battle stars, a Bronze Star, and a Purple Heart earned in Europe. He has written two books, Sgt. of the Guard at Nuremberg and Diary of a Combat Infantryman. Sharp founded and served as the first president of the Kansas Chapter of the Battle of the Bulge.

During each 15-minute Dream Flight, veterans soar about 1,000 feet above family and friends. In Sharp’s case, generations of veterans gathered to show their gratitude for this humble hero. Members of Pearce-Keller Post No. 17, The American Legion, the Sons of the American Legion Squadron 17, Manhattan, Kansas, and VFW stood at attention as Sharp taxied down the runway and again upon his return.

After landing, a smiling Sharp told crew chief Paul Bodenhamer, “It was wonderful! I’m ready to go again!”

Fisher presented Sharp with a signed Dream Flights baseball cap and invited him to sign his name on the tail of the aircraft—a tradition reserved for WWII veterans. Since 2021, Dream Flights has honored more than 1,000 members of the Greatest Generation, preserving their signatures – and history – on the tails of its Stearmans.

Members of the American Legion and VFW lined up to shake Sharp’s hand and thank him for his service. He responded, simply, to each one: “Thanks for all you guys do.”

Never Too Old for Adventure
Before parting ways, Sharp and Fisher made a promise: another Dream Flight, one year from now, when Sharp turns 102.

“You’re never too old for an adventure,” said Fisher. “I told Jim that we’ll be back, same time next year, to take him flying.”

“I’ll be here too,” Sharp replied. The two shook hands, sealing the date for Sharp’s second Dream Flight, an honor reserved for centenarians.

The following day, on Sept. 28 at Kansas Speedway, Dream Flights’ logo and a bright yellow Stearman debuted on Denny Hamlin’s No. 11 Toyota Camry XSE. Sport Clips Haircuts, its longtime sponsor, donated the prime space to shine a light on its mission to honor veterans.

Dream Flights are always free, thanks to the generosity of its primary sponsor Sport Clips Haircuts, American Airlines, Allied Pilots Association, American Healthcare Association/National Center for Assisted Living, Veterans United Home Loans, and Vital Life Foundation.

Wendy DAlessandro
Dream Flights
+1 561-251-3151
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WWII Army veteran Jim Sharp honored with Dream Flight

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