Remembering Mario Mesa

This week in Orlando, WWII Veteran Mario John Mesa, Jr. passed away on August 14, 2011.

A Florida native born in Key West and raised along the Florida shore,  Mesa embodied the values of the greatest generation. Mesa landed at Normandy on D-Day at Fox Green Beach with the 6th Beach Battalion. His two superior officers were killed in battle and Mesa took charge in their place. Yet he would be the last person to tell you of his heroism. His testament is his years of service to God and country. He served 38 years in the United States Navy and 50 years as a Minister of Hospitality at Saint James Cathedral in downtown Orlando.

A beloved family man, he is remembered by his wife Glenette and family as a loving husband, father and grandfather “who  encouraged his friends and family to fight for what they believe and never judge anyone.”