The VBC is partnering with the Central Pennsylvania WWII Roundtable to welcome WWII P-47 pilot on Thursday, May 7, 2026, at 7:00pm ET at American Legion Post 272 near Harrisburg, PA. This will be an in-person presentation at the post (5700 Linglestown Rd, Harrisburg, PA), open to the public. It will also be available on the Roundtable’s YouTube channel.
There are not many left who flew in World War II. Fewer still who can still stand before a room and tell you what it was like.
On May 7, the Veterans Breakfast Club and the Central Pennsylvania WWII Roundtable welcome Alan Shapiro, age 101 — a former U.S. Army Air Forces C-47 pilot who flew combat missions in the European Theater in 1944–45.
As a young Second Lieutenant barely out of his teens, Shapiro flew with the 316th Troop Carrier Group, 37th Squadron, piloting the C-47 Skytrain, one of the most important aircraft of the war.
His missions carried him into the heart of the Allied push into Germany:
- Flying resupply and evacuation missions in the wake of airborne operations in Holland
- Supporting troops during the Battle of the Bulge, delivering supplies in brutal winter conditions
- Participating in Operation Varsity, the massive airborne crossing of the Rhine River in March 1945
He flew low, often under fire, hauling cargo, paratroopers, and wounded men. He also carried a camera with him and captured images of the war from the cockpit.
The VBC is grateful to the Central PA WWII Roundtable for sharing this event with us. We’re two communities built around listening, learning, and keeping these stories in circulation.
