Honor Flights to bring 400+ WWII Veterans to Visit the WWII Memorial and other Sites on November 7, 2009

For the first time in many of their lives, more than 400 World War II soldier, airman, sailor, and marine veterans will visit Washington, DC. In their 80’s and 90’s, those to whom we owe so much will be welcomed by former Senators Robert and Elizabeth Dole as well as other dignitaries at the Memorial that was dedicated to the millions who served and those who died during 1941-1945.

U.S. Airways is among the airlines that form the “Honor Flight Squadron” which began in May 2005. On Saturday, November 7 – just four days before Veterans Day – a total of seven flights will arrive in the Washington DC area with hundreds of WWII veterans who will spend the day, not only touring the WWII Memorial, but also the Vietnam and Korea Memorials and will see the changing of the guard at the Arlington National Cemetery. The veterans will then take flights home with memories that many have said they could not even have dreamed of before the trip.

Each of the morning flights, arriving in Washington DC, will be greeted by hundreds of volunteers, traveling passengers, music and, on Saturday, 20+ dancers wearing 1940’s dress doing the “Lindy-Hop” and “Jitter-Bug”, sopopular during the war. A motor cycle escort is planned to lead the buses on tour.

Those wanting to meet the flights will need to have a pass which can be obtained by contacting Carole Cloyd, US Air Service Manager, at 703-338-0838. For more information on the November 7 activities, contact John S. Lewandowski, at 540-877-1252, DVCH123@gmail.com

Background on “Honor Flight Network”

The Honor Flight Network program was conceived by Earl Morse, a physician assistant and Retired Air Force Captain. Earl wanted to honor the veterans he had taken care of for the past 27 years. After retiring from the Air Force in 1998, Earl was hired by the Department of Veterans Affairs to work in a small clinic in Springfield, Ohio. In May of 2004, the World War II Memorial was finally completed and dedicated in Washington, D.C. and quickly became the topic of discussion among his World War II veteran patients.

Earl repeatedly asked these veterans if they would ever travel out to visit THEIR memorial. Most felt that eventually, somehow, they would make it to D.C., perhaps with a family member or friend.
As summer turned to fall and then winter, these same veterans returned to the clinic for their follow-up visits. Earl asked if they accomplished their dream of visiting the World War II Memorial.

By now, for most of the veterans he asked, reality had settled in; it was clear to most that it simply wasn’t financially or physically possible for them to make the journey. Most of these senior heroes were in their 80s and lacked the physical and mental wherewithal to complete a trip on their own. Families and friends also lacked the resources and time to complete the three to four day trip to the nation’s capital.

One of many questions that are always asked: Will some or many of the veterans will be in uniform? Well, many of the veterans try to wear their same uniform, but maybe over the years it just can’t be, but as many as possible will try to wear them, in hopes they will run into someone from their former unit.