It was an honor for Plitek’s CEO, Karl Hoffman, and his wife, Cheryl, to be a part of Captain Dick Nelms’s 100th birthday celebration. They made it extra sweet by delivering Captain Nelms’s favorite pizza from Giordano’s.
Dick Nelms is a 95 year-old World War II veteran who piloted a B-17 Flying Fortress over Germany and Nazi occupied Europe in 1944. He completed 35 missions and among others, earned the Distinguished Flying Cross, five Air Medals, and a Presidential Unit Citation.
Dick returned home after the war and became a successful commercial artist. He has lived on Mercer Island in Washington state since 1953 and still volunteers at the Seattle Museum of Flight, speaking twice monthly about his experiences.
Special thanks to Captain Nelms for his service!
Learn more about Captain Dick Nelms and his first time visiting the Smithsonian.