TITUSVILLE, Fla. — For more than 30 years, the Valiant Air Command in Titusville opens its doors free of charge to veterans and active military for Veterans Day.

  • Valiant Air Command opens doors to veterans for free on Veterans Day
  • Army veteran Nelson Lucca II said many in his family served 
  • Museum fundraising to get another hanger to store more planes

Army veteran Nelson Lucca II is passing down his military knowledge to his grandson Hayden.

The veteran visited the museum for the first time Sunday. He comes from a long bloodline of those who served the country.

“My father served in the Korean War. My father-in-law was in World War II. All my brother-in-laws all served in the military. So it was a natural transition, and I said, ‘Let me give this a shot,’” Lucca said.

And he did, working in military intelligence for about 13 years. He joined the military when he was about 22 years old back in 1977 and leaving in 1993 after getting injured.

Throughout the weekend, about 3,400 veterans checked out the historic combat aircrafts at the museum, many of them sharing their military service history with one another.

“I served during the Cold War. I worked doing military intelligence on what we called the “Iron Curtain,” Lucca said.

The Valiant Air Command is fundraising to get another hanger to store more planes. Right now, it has about 50 and counting.

The museum founded in 1977 to preserve historical warbirds from the beginnings of aviation to the present day.