SELINSGROVE, Pa. — Wearing a black dress, long white gloves and a pearl necklace, high school junior Isabella Moles was escorted to the prom Saturday evening by Howard Dean, a Korean War veteran attired in his original 1952 military uniform.

Moles, 17, and Dean, 88, walked with their arms intertwined into the prom, where he left the teen to spend the next several hours dancing and hanging out with friends.

Weeks earlier, Moles handed Dean a hand-written letter inviting him to chaperone her to the prom.

“I thought it would be a good way to honor him and say, ‘Thank you,’” said Moles, grateful for Dean’s friendship and support in the past several months as her mother, Katherine Blann, has been recovering from severe injuries suffered when a hit-and-run driver ran her down last June.

Dean, a widower whose only child lives in Minnesota, has grown close to Moles and Blann, who he refers to as his “surrogate family.”

“I am honored to do it,’” he said of Moles’ invitation.

“He is family,” said Moles.

Dean decided to wear his military khakis, which still fit, albeit a little loosely, and Moles chose her formal wear based on his attire.

“Usually it’s the other way around, but I wanted to wear something that would go with his tie,” she said.

To top off the vintage-glamour look, Dean gave Moles a corsage and a ring that belonged to his late wife, Olga, who died 11 years ago after 56 years of marriage.

Before leaving for the prom, Dean stood proudly at Moles’ side for photographs outside her home.

“I couldn’t have asked for a better ‘thank you,’” he said.

Moore is a reporter at The (Sunbury, Pennsylvania) Daily Item.