At 100 years old, World War II veteran Bill Shea is back home in Harrow, Ontario, after being stranded in a British Columbia hospital for more than a month. His return was made possible by an anonymous donor who covered the nearly $60,000 cost of a special medical flight.
Shea, a former tail gunner and one of the region’s last living veterans of the Second World War, fell gravely ill just days after an Alaskan cruise in August. He was hospitalized with pneumonia, a bladder infection, and kidney complications. His family said repeated appeals to Global Affairs for financial help with the flight home were denied, leaving them desperate until a private donor stepped forward.
On Monday, Shea was greeted by family, friends, and members of Harrow Legion Branch 338 as his ambulance pulled in. From the window, he waved to familiar faces, who shouted back with joy: “Great to see ya, Bill!”
“It’s the principle of the whole thing,” said his daughter, Maureen Rudowicz. “A World War Two veteran, 100 years old, and they were just going to leave him there. He didn’t need to be in B.C. for hospital care. He needed to be here.”
Shea has now been admitted to a Windsor-area hospital to begin his recovery. His family says this was his last flight. “I don’t think I’ll let him. That’s it. He’s done,” Rudowicz said with a smile.
For his legion community, Shea’s safe return was a moment of deep relief. “It’s our way of showing how much we care about Bill and his family,” said Branch 338 president Paul Chartier. “To the person that donated the money, you’re an angel. We needed him back home. We missed him a lot.”
Although Shea missed celebrating his milestone birthday at the Harrow Fair due to his illness, plans are already underway for a belated celebration once he regains his strength. “If I know Bill, he’ll bounce back,” Chartier said.