How to remove fluorine from 2-[2-(3-bromophenyl)ethenyl]-5-fluoro-1,3-benzoxazole? I tried to develop a synthesis strategy for 2-[(E)-2-(3-bromophenyl)ethenyl]-1,3-benzoxazole below. I was able to find the synthesis plan shown on the picture below, however my target molecule is one without a fluorine on the benzoxazole. Hence, my questions is: would this reaction go the same way if I were to react the benzoxazole without the halogen (F)? If not, is there a way to remove it from the target molecule?
Here's a link to the synthesis plan I currently have:

And here's my target molecule:

edit:
Here's the reagents and the procedure as stated on reaxys:

With  N-benzyl-N,N,N-triethylammonium chloride; sodium hydroxide in  &gt;dichloromethane; water
Inert atmosphere;
2.1. Synthesis
General procedure: The SBOs were prepared by the base-catalysed &gt;condensation of the appropriate 5-halogeno-2-methylbenzoxazole with the &gt;requisite aromatic aldehyde under phase transfer conditions. In a typical &gt;experiment, equimolar quantities (5 mmol) of the starting materials were &gt;dissolved in dichloromethane (20–50 ml) in the presence of &gt;benzyltriethylammonium chloride (3 mmol) and stirred magnetically under a &gt;nitrogen atmosphere as an aqueous solution of sodium hydroxide (50percent, &gt;w/v, 5 ml) was added dropwise over a period of 10 min. After being stirred &gt;for 2–36 h until analytical thin layer chromatography indicated that the &gt;reaction was complete, the mixture was diluted with water (50 ml) and the &gt;SBO was extracted with dichloromethane (3×20 ml), dried (MgSO4), filtered, &gt;evaporated under reduced pressure and recrystallized from aqueous methanol &gt;or ethanol.
How to remove fluorine from this compound?


There's no need to try that!

Just use  the commercially available 2-methyl-1,3-benzoxazole and try to react it with 3-bromobenzaldehyde in N,N-dimethylformamide under reflux for 2-4 h using self-prepared $\ce{KF-Al2O3}$ as a catalyst.

The reaction has been described (DOI) for several benzaldehydes, such as $\ce{4-H, 4-Cl, 4-Me, 4-OCH3, 4-N(CH3)2}$, with yields > 80%.