When World War II veterans from Potter County head to the nation's capitol with Honor Flight, they'll be short one of their own.

Ten veterans from the county were supposed to be on the flight that takes off from Aberdeen Friday but one of them didn't make it.

As the World War II memorial sits in Washington, D.C. waiting for its veterans to come and see it, in Gettysburg Reinholdt Dutt was planning to do just that together with a friend of more than 50 years.

"He was over at the shop the day before. He stopped and we visited like we always did. And the next thing I knew, they found him," Dutt said.

Eighty-three-year-old Floyd Hall had died of a heart attack in his home. The Gettysburg World War II veteran served three years in the army.

He died on September 29, a little more than two weeks before he was supposed to board Honor Flight.

"It had been in the planning and looking forward to it for a long time," Dutt said.

The Gettysburg community raised more than $9,000 to send its World War II veterans to their memorial.

"Oh, he was grateful; we talked about that," Dutt said.

And he was excited about going too. The veterans boarding Honor Flight rode on a float during this year's homecoming parade. Hall was among them; he had every intention of making it to the memorial.

"When he was over at the shop the last time, we were talking about what we should take along and what you could take," Dutt said.

Now Dutt and the other vets will add to their list the flag Hall's family received in his honor when he died.

They'll bring it to the memorial as they stand with one less friend to share the experience with, one more to remember while there.

Hall was one planning to take Honor Flight but Dutt says other World War II veterans from the Gettysburg area have died just in the past couple weeks.

To see how you can donate for future flights click here.