WWII veteran from Aventura travels to England for Memorial Day ceremony

Honor Flights South Florida plans tribute for WWII veteran

AVENTURA, Fla. – During the closing days of World War II, the Germans launched a surprise offensive that prompted the Battle of the Bulge in Belgium. U.S. Army Gen. George Patton ordered an assault. 

Sydney Levit was serving with the 17th Airborne Division, 193rd Glider Infantry Regiment, Company A, in England when he rushed to the front. The 20-year-old soldier moved to Neufchateau. 

Levit marched through the snow to Morhet to establish a post. There was a howling blizzard with below freezing temperatures. Patton ordered them to seize the town of Flamierge from the Germans. Jan. 7, 1945 was one of the longest days of his life.

"I met wonderful men who were in my group. Some of them didn't make it," Levit said Wednesday. "I was very, very lucky."

Levit is one of the survivors of the "Dead Man’s Ridge Walk." At 94 years old, he still remembers how the attack on the German line started with about 130 men and ended with 16 survivors. He plans to honor them in England on Memorial Day.

Levit boarded a flight Wednesday at Miami International Airport. He is scheduled to attend a ceremony at the Cambridge American Cemetery and Memorial. 

"It's an honor beyond my possible dreams," Levit said. 

The great-grandfather, who now lives in Aventura, received a tribute from Honor Flights South Florida, a nonprofit organization based in Plantation. He is traveling with his son Paul Levit who said he was grateful for the organization's help. 

 


About the Authors:

Liane Morejon is an Emmy-winning reporter who joined the Local 10 News family in January 2010. Born and raised in Coral Gables, Liane has a unique perspective on covering news in her own backyard.

The Emmy Award-winning journalist joined the Local 10 News team in 2013. She wrote for the Miami Herald for more than 9 years and won a Green Eyeshade Award.