Harold Percival was a true hero in the fight against Nazi fascism. He was one of the men who worked ground crew for the famous Lancaster bomber "dam-busting" missions. These "dam-busters" went deep into enemy territory in order to drop bombs on Nazi dams which helped their war effort!
Flying through heavy flak and attacked by the dreaded Luftwaffe, these missions were some of the worst of the worst possible. And while Percival wasn't inside the planes on these horrifying bomb runs, he was always there to fix them up when they came back home.
After the war, Percival lived out his life in quiet solitude. He had a great love, but she died in 1935 of tuberculosis. He lived out his days traveling, working, and staying content with being a self-contained man. He lived through multiple generations and new wars, new technology, new music, and new countries!
When he died at the age of 99, he had no family to mourn him, and no relatives who seemed to care: That's when the funeral director stepped in.
Please read the funeral director's beautiful note below!
When 99-year-old Harold Percival died, it seemed as if no funeral precession would be needed, for he had no family and no close friends.
Even though he was a WWII veteran, he wouldn't be given the normal and honorable tribute.
No somber music to mark the occasion of his passing was discussed.
And no mourning family and friends would travel thousands of miles from across the country. For this man kept to himself and never had a true friend after the war.
Realizing that this man was about to have a funeral with no one in attendance, the funeral director sent out a plea for people to come pay their respects.
Percival was a loner, and with no friends or family, it seemed a horrible thought that this WWII veteran be given a funeral with no one in attendance.
But the funeral director's desperate request soon "went viral." Soon enough, thousands of people from all over the country came to pay their respects to the hero.
Mourners of all ages, adults and children alike, came to say "goodbye" to a man they had never said "hello" to.
Were it not for Percival and what his dam-busting bomber squad did, the country itself might not have made it through the war. His efforts directly contributed to the eventual defeat of Hitler.
Rest in peace Harold Percival, we hope you've reunited with your long lost love.
Please watch the video below!
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