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Local Veteran's Wish Granted, Has Day Proclaimed In His Honor

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- The non-profit group "Unity, A Journey of Hope" has been granting wishes to people in Pittsburgh since 2007.

Friday, the organization honored a local veteran.

Frank Capparelli is 88-years-old and all he wished for was to visit his old neighborhood and have lunch at his favorite restaurant.

Caparelli suffers from dementia and currently lives in a nursing home.

But he still had a desire to connect with his old memories, so his wish was to return to his old neighborhood where he grew up in Mt. Washington.

Caparelli traveled to "Calabria's" in Castle Shannon for a surprise lunch with his old buddies that used to meet for dinner as well as some old friends and neighbors.

There used to be 28 friends and neighbors, now there are only 12.

Caparelli served our country in the '40s as an armed guard on a merchant ship in the Navy.

For his service to our country, he also received two citations Friday proclaiming Frank Capparelli Day: one from County Executive Rich Fitzgerald and the other from State Senator Wayne Fontana.

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