Community Corner
Help Celebrate Bryn Mawr WWII Veteran's 100th Birthday
World War II veteran William Bonnelli is about to turn 100 years old and community members are asked to send cards to a Bryn Mawr P.O. Box.
BRYN MAWR, PA — A local World War II veteran is about to turn 100 years old and members of the community can wish him happy returns via mail.
William Bonnelli, 99, of Bryn Mawr, will celebrate his 100th birthday March 17.
Bonnelli is not only a WWII veteran, he's a survivor of the Pearl Harbor attack on Dec. 7, 1941.
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According to the Department of Defense, Bonnelli's time in the Army put him in Fiji, Austria, Italy, Germany, Hungary, and Czechoslovakia serving on B-17 bomber planes in various roles, inlcuding a qualified engineer, crew chief gunner, and squadron lead pilot. In total, he led 30 missions over Nazi Europe.
He later went on to serve as a fighter pilot in the Army Air Corps which later became the Air Force.
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In an interview with Action News, Bonelli said he's "probably more surprised than anyone else that I'm still here and talking."
Those who want to wish Bonnelli a happy 100th birthday can send cards to LTC William Bonelli, P.O. Box 1638, Bryn Mawr, PA 19010.
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