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Local World War II vet celebrates 96th birthday with parade

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11:35 pm Coronavirus, Top Stories
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TREMONT (WEEK) - Family, friends, and folks in Tremont came out to wish World War II veteran Gene Neeley a Happy 96th Birthday Saturday. The well-known veteran was greeted by a socially distant parade and 'Happy Birthday' song.

Neeley fought in World War II and was able to return to Europe last year for the 75th anniversary of the end of the war. He spoke and appeared at several memorial events across Europe.

He works closely with the Greater Peoria Honor Flight to bring veterans to Washington, D.C. The Honor Flight canceled their events for this year due to COVID-19.

Kyle Beachy

Kyle Beachy is a Multimedia Journalist for 25 News and Heart of Illinois. Born and raised in Kokomo, Indiana, he attended Indiana Wesleyan University where he studied Education and played baseball. He comes to us from Columbus, Ohio where he received a Master’s Degree from The Ohio State University.

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