INGLESIDE, Texas — At 101 years old, Jose Noe Mendez is still ready for adventure.
The World War II veteran celebrated his birthday with a flight aboard a vintage aircraft, soaring above the Coastal Bend, a tribute that connected his past with the present.
Mendez was born in 1925 in Tampico, Mexico, and later moved to Texas. At 17, he went to Corpus Christi to train at a Navy aircraft engine school, working on the same kinds of planes he would encounter again decades later.
About a year into his training, he was drafted into World War II.
Assigned to the U.S. Army’s 1st Infantry Division, Mendez spent months on the front lines in Germany, including the brutal fighting in the Hurtgen Forest and the Battle of the Bulge. He said he spent nearly a year in combat and lost many fellow servicemen fighting beside him.
Mendez ended his military career in 1947 as a technical sergeant. He earned several honors, including a Purple Heart and three Battle Stars for campaigns in the Hurtgen Forest, the Battle of the Bulge and Central Europe.
“I did what I did for my country,” he said.
For his 101st birthday, Vintage Air Tours and the Commemorative Air Force Museum organized a special flight in a World War II-era aircraft.
“This is our way to say thank you for his service and recognize the greatest generation.” said Jeremy Bushnell, president of Vintage Air Tours.
Bushnell said the organization has provided similar flights for veterans before, raising money throughout the year to make the experiences possible.
“These are people who have made sacrifices that are just immeasurable,” he said. “When we don’t have these people to tell their stories, we want to be the next generation to be able to do so.”
Before takeoff, Mendez shared a lighthearted moment with his pilot, joking about his age.
“You look kinda young, I don’t know,” he said with a laugh.
Moments later, he was strapped in and giving a thumbs up as the engine roared to life.
Friends and spectators watched as the aircraft lifted off, carrying Mendez over the coastline and past the USS Lexington Museum in Corpus Christi, a meaningful route chosen for its historical significance.
Bushnell said flights like these often bring out strong emotions in veterans.
“Everything from tears streaming down faces to smiles of excitement,” he said. “It just invokes so many memories.”
When the plane touched down, a crowd greeted Mendez with applause.
“It takes me back many memories,” he said.
At 101, those memories remain vivid. But his return home after the war brought new challenges.
Like many Hispanic veterans, Mendez said he faced discrimination.
“I was mistreated because I was Hispanic,” he said. “South Texas was bad. I was seeing signs around South Texas saying no Mexicans, no Blacks, no dogs allowed.”
Despite that, he said he remains proud of his service.
“I appreciate everything everybody’s doing for me,” Mendez said.
For Bushnell, the experience is about more than just a flight.
“It is the absolute peak of happiness to see the smiles when they get off these aircraft,” he said.
More Veterans In Focus stories are available here, along with resources for local veterans.
Contact Veterans In Focus reporter Michelle Hofmann at michelle.lorenzo@kristv.com
