DENVER (KDVR) — In a tear-filled service filled with friends and loved ones, a last-of-his-kind D-Day veteran was laid to rest in Denver Wednesday.

William Chambers, 102, died late last month at age 102, more than 80 years after he secured a place in World War II history. He was a glider pilot during the Allied invasion of Normandy, the event that turned the tide of the war.

"On June 7th, 1944, Ray flew with the 73rd squadron. Towed by a C-47 he and his co-pilot flew an American CG-4A glider just south of St. Mere Eglise, France. Ray's crew made it on the ground with hardly a scratch. According to Ray's co-pilot, they were immediately engaged by Germans with machine guns and grenades," said Zach Cromley of the National WWII Glider Pilots Association.

"On July 7th, Ray was awarded the Air Medal for his combat glider flight into France. Typically reserved for a pilot who has flown a minimum of five combat sorties, the US Army Air Forces deemed glider missions so dangerous that they awarded glider pilots an Air Medal for each combat mission," Cromley said.

"On the 23rd of July, Ray was awarded the Purple Heart for injuries sustained in combat. A later physical exam detailed that Ray suffered shrapnel wounds during his combat mission and was hospitalized for two weeks," he added.

There were more than 500 American gliders dispatched in the first two days of Operation Overland, which became commonly known as the D-Day invasion. Some 44 of the glider pilots were killed in action.

Chambers went on to fly multiple combat missions in C-47s, including dropping two groups of paratroopers during Operation Market Garden.

"After receiving enough combat points to return home, Ray left the following day, returning home to Denver on June 1, 1945, just two weeks before his 23rd birthday. Ray went on to serve in Korea and held multiple distinguished jobs, including civil service to the US Army. He lived a humble life of grace, integrity, and service to our Lord," Chambers said.

He was laid to rest at Fairmount Cemetery in east Denver.