A 95-year-old former soldier died aboard a so-called Honor Flight carrying World War II veterans home to San Diego after an all-expenses-paid weekend trip to Washington, D.C. The Union-Tribune reports Frank Manchel collapsed about an hour before the chartered American Airlines jet was due to land Sunday. Two doctors including his own son were unable to revive him. The body of the former Army technical sergeant was covered with an American flag and other veterans saluted as they passed by while exiting the aircraft. Manchel was a Michigan native and left San Diego on Friday with 82 other veterans, family members and volunteers to visit war memorials and other sights in the nation's capital. Six other deaths have occurred on Honor Flights originating in other cities.<doc-sep>Frank Manchel spent his final days being honored for his service during a commemorative and complimentary trip to the World War II memorial in Washington D.C., provided by Honor Flight Network World War II Vet Dies on Flight Home After 'Amazing Weekend' Organized to Honor Him for His Service A World War II veteran spent his final days taking a trip of a lifetime alongside his family and getting honored for his service before he sadly died on his special flight home. Over the weekend, Frank Manchel, a former World War II U.S. Army Sergeant, was joined by his two sons, nephew, and brother in Washington D.C. as part of a commemorative trip offered by the Honor Flight Network in San Diego. Get push notifications with news, features and more. The nationwide nonprofit organization works to honor America’s veterans by transporting them at no cost to their war memorials in Washington D.C., according to their website. Frank’s “amazing weekend”, however, would turn out to be his last as the 95-year-old “humble hero” suddenly collapsed and died on his special flight home to San Diego, the city’s Honor Flight hub announced in a statement on their Facebook. “It is with our most deepest sympathy that we send our condolences to the Frank Manchel family,” they wrote. “Mr. Manchel passed away on the flight to San Diego last evening. He collapsed and resuscitation measures were taken but he could not be revived.” His son, Bruce Manchel, who was on the flight with him, issued a statement on their Facebook and said the weekend was quite memorable for his father. “Frank Manchel was so excited to go on Honor Flight. To be with both of his sons as well as his 93-year-old brother who met him in Washington, D.C. was so special,” he wrote. “My father’s passing was the ending to the most amazing weekend, surrounded by his newest best friends.” “We thank all of you – Honor Flight San Diego, American Airlines, San Diego International airport, friends, and supporters for your concern and for allowing the weekend to be so special for all of us to share together,” he continued. “Frank passed quickly and peacefully and the compassion and respect that that was shown to our family will be treasured always. May he rest in peace as he is now with his other beloved son Jimmy.” Speaking to Fox 5 San Diego, Bruce elaborated on their time in Washington D.C., noting how Frank was honored by strangers passing by in the street — an experience Bruce said his father embraced. “This trip brought my dad out of his shell,” he told the outlet. “When we were walking down the streets of D.C., people were just coming up to him, shaking his hand, [saying] ‘thank you for your service.’ He was just soaking that up.” On Sunday, Frank and Bruce boarded the special flight, which was filled with veterans, and headed back home to California. The former Army Sergeant was even photographed on the plane, proudly showing off his World War II veteran hat and trip badge, while another captured Frank flashing a giant smile and holding up a thank you sign. Mr. Frank Manchel was 95 years old and a U.S. Army WWII veteran Frank Manchel | Credit: Honor Flight San Diego/Facebook Midway through the flight, Bruce told Fox 5 that his father got up to go to the bathroom and suddenly collapsed. Luckily, a passenger nearby caught him, who later told Bruce that Frank’s death was instantaneous. “The fella who caught my dad came up to me and said, ‘Listen, your dad — within 5 seconds of having him in my arms, was gone,'” Bruce recalled to the outlet. With only 45 minutes left before landing, Bruce quietly sat next to his deceased father — but the silence was cut short by a chorus of singing veterans who joined in on an emotional rendition of “God Bless America.” When they finally landed, Bruce told Fox 5 the passengers exited the plane as normal but made sure to pay their respects to his father by “saluting him as they went by.” Adds Bruce: “It was a beautiful scene.” According to the nonprofit organization, Frank’s body was then “draped in an American Flag that Honor Flight San Diego carries on every trip,” with chaplains on the flight leading prayers for the fallen vet. “Medical personnel, firefighters and law enforcement saluted Mr. Manchel as paramedics escorted his body to the tarmac,” they added. RELATED VIDEO: 92-year-old veteran throws out Mariners first pitch Services for Frank are expected to occur in the coming days. As a way to show their final respects, American Airlines (who had been the carrier of the flight Frank died on) offered to fly him and his family members to his final resting place in Michigan, free of cost, according to Honor Flight San Diego. “May this humble hero RIP. 🇺🇸” they finished, adding a photo of the veteran on his return flight — capturing one of his final moments. Founded in 2005, Honor Flight now consists of 130 hubs across America. The organization is able to fund the free flights to D.C. through “private donations from individuals, foundations, associations, business owners and corporations wishing to thank our veterans for their service to the United States and our citizens,” the site reads.<doc-sep>A 95-year-old World War II veteran died during a flight to San Diego on Monday evening, returning from an "Honor Flight" to Washington, D.C., to vist the WW II Memorial, the organization arranging the trip confirmed. Frank Manchel was completing a trip arranged by Honor Flight San Diego – a group that provides veterans with all-expense-paid trips to visit war memorials in the nation's capital. A photo of Manchel posted by Honor Flight San Diego was taken just before he died. Manchel, who served in the Army during WWII, was accompanied by his son during the trip. His brother, nephew, and second son joined him in Washington for the festivities. “Frank Manchel was so excited to go on Honor Flight," Bruce Manchel, the family's spokesperson and one of Manchel's sons, told Honor Flight San Diego. "To be with both of his sons as well as his 93-year-old brother who met him in Washington, D.C., was so special. My father’s passing was the ending to the most amazing weekend, surrounded by his newest best friends." According to Honor Flight San Diego, after Manchel passed away during the flight, his body was draped in the American flag that the group had carried with them to Washington while two chaplains on board prayed for him. Shelly Zimmerman, a retired San Diego police chief who was on the flight, ensured the group followed protocol once the flight landed in San Diego with medical personnel, firefighters, and law enforcement saluting Manchel as paramedics escorted his body to the tarmac. American Airlines, which flew the honor cordon from Washington, has offered to fly Manchel to his final resting place in Michigan, along with his family members, at no cost, Honor Flight said. "We thank all of you – Honor Flight San Diego, American Airlines, San Diego International airport, friends, and supporters for your concern and for allowing the weekend to be so special for all of us to share together," Bruce Manchel said. "Frank passed quickly and peacefully and the compassion and respect that that was shown to our family will be treasured always. May he rest in peace as he is now with his other beloved son Jimmy.”<doc-sep>
A 95-year-old former soldier died over the weekend aboard a so-called Honor Flight carrying World War II veterans back home to San Diego after an all-expenses-paid weekend trip to Washington, D.C. Frank Manchel collapsed about an hour before the chartered American Airlines jet was scheduled to land Sunday, the San Diego Union-Tribune reported. Two physicians, including his own son, Bruce Manchel, were unable to revive him. “It was almost instantaneous,” said Dave Smith, founder of Honor Flight San Diego. “He was laughing, chatting, having a good time — and then he collapsed.” Chaplains prayed over the body, and it was covered with an American flag. As the plane was descending to its destination, another passenger, former San Diego Police Chief Shelley Zimmerman, who is the daughter of a World War II vet, suggested those aboard sing “God Bless America” in tribute to Manchel, and the plane was filled with song, the newspaper reported. Fellow veterans saluted as they passed Frank Manchel’s body while exiting the plane. First responders at the scene also saluted as the body was taken from the plane. “My father’s passing was the ending to the most amazing weekend, surrounded by his newest best friends,” Frank Manchel said in a statement Monday. “We thank all of you — Honor Flight San Diego, American Airlines, San Diego International Airport, friends, and supporters for your concern and for allowing the weekend to be so special for all of us to share together.” Zimmerman said that when she chatted with the elder Manchel and his family on Saturday, the veteran was in an upbeat mood. “He was 100% engaged, proud, humble — as these veterans are,” she said. “You could just tell how proud they all were of him. It was just wonderful — a loving, loving family.” American Airlines offered to transport Manchel’s remains and relatives to Michigan, where services and burial are planned. Six other deaths have happened on Honor Flights originating from other cities. “We know this is a potential situation,” Smith said. “We want to honor these veterans, but this is one of our worst fears that this might happen. We do everything we can to make sure these veterans are safe.” The nonprofit Honor Flight Network was founded to enable aging veterans to visit the National World War II Memorial, which was completed in 2004. The organization plans to eventually focus on Korean War veterans and then those who served in Vietnam.