Nonprofit encourages sending Christmas cards to WWII veteran in Oldham County

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WAVE) - Nonprofit organization Honor Flight Bluegrass is encouraging people to send Christmas cards to a 105-year-old World War II veteran who lives in Oldham County.

Veteran Horace Harrod is one of only 160,000 of the 16 million WWII veterans who are still with us today. He doesn’t get out too much, but enjoys reading.

Harrod served as a communications staff sergeant in the 28th infantry division, mobilized Pennsylvania Nation Guard. He served from March 28, 1942 to Dec. 15, 1945. His division landed on Normandy Beach a few days after D-Day, was credited with the liberation of Paris, and among the first into Germany. Horace had severe frostbite of the feet near Schmidt, Germany where his unit was engaged in battle. He was evacuated to a Paris hospital and then finished recovery in an English hospital, according to Honor Flight Bluegrass.

Harrod returned home to Kentucky after the war. He was a tobacco and dairy farmer for most of his life and retired from the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet as heavy equipment operator.

Harrod married shortly after the war and had two sons and a daughter. He has been widowed since 2014 and Honor Flight Bluegrass said Harrod often says, “I’m the luckiest man alive.”

Christmas cards or a card thanking him for his service will be sent to the following address:

Horace Harrod

6206 Hillcrest Ct.

Crestwood, Ky. 40014