#Middlebury #Veterans #HonorFlights
The number of World War II veterans topped 16 million during the war. Now there are fewer than half a million still alive, all in their 80s and 90s. We’re losing over 300 WWII veterans each day. Most of them have never seen the memorial in Washington, D.C., that was built in their honor.
Honor Flights Network, a nonprofit, works to change that. Since 2010, it has escorted 222,133 veterans to see the memorial, at no cost to the veteran. Last year HFN took 21,000 veterans to Washington. The one-day trips leave from a “hub” in most states and fly to Washington, where they visit the memorial dedicated to them, as well as the Vietnam and Korean memorials. These trips are scheduled multiple times a year.
However, it takes money and volunteers (guardian escorts) to pull it off, and there are over 38,000 veterans on a wait list. We’re running out of time to get all the vets to Washington who want to go.
There are programs to help more veterans get there. The Solo program is for those who have friends and family who can fund the air trip and hotel for one to three days. The Lone Eagle program is for veterans who are not near an airport hub.
Once in Washington, the veteran and his escort will join the main group for all their activities. In addition, Honor Flights has expanded to include Korean War and Vietnam War veterans.
If you can send money, please do. The address is Honor Flight Inc., 175 South Tuttle Road, Springfield, OH 45505, or donate at www.honorflight.org. (Don’t miss the video on the website).
If you want information or can serve as an escort, call Honor Flight at 937-521-2400, or Jane Julian at 614-558-6220. If you have any medical experience, that’s a bonus, but there are many roles you can fill.
© 2019 King Features Synd., Inc.
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