Harmonica Pete was an American patriot and a class act.

The girls and I "bumped" into Pete back in 2014 when we were on the same flight over to Belgium for the anniversary of the Bulge. Pete immediately captured all our hearts as serenaded us on his harmonica during the flight and afterwards waiting for our baggage.

Later that week Pete shared with me the excitement he had to be back in Belgium. Not just because it was where he'd served as an Army Medic 70 years before, but because this was where both his parents had served nearly 100 years before during the Great War, the War to End all Wars.

The years that followed I'd get occasional calls from Pete that would always start with him playing a chorus of his favorite music on the harmonica, then in a deep and youthful voice, "This is Harmonica Pete." Just my favorite.

In the poem "If" by Rudyard Kipling, he says to "Fill the unforgiving minute with 60 seconds worth of distance run." If you knew Pete or followed his regular adventures in the news, you would agree with me that Pete filled every minute with 61 seconds.

Thanks for the memories.

Peter B. DuPré

May 12, 1923 - January 18, 2022

US Army || World War Two