The trip was arranged by Honor Flight Network to allow my dad as a World War II veteran the chance to see what he fought hard to keep free, the capitol of our great country and democracy. The main mission of the free trip is for veterans to see the actual memorials built in their honor to say Thank You, Soldiers. 

  

I got to meet some great World War II Vets and listen to their stories. 

  

Some of you may have heard about the HONOR FLIGHT NETWORK that is bringing these fine soldiers here to Washington D.C. free of charge to say Thank You for your service and sacrifices. 

  

 

Some of you may have heard about the HONOR FLIGHT NETWORK that is bringing these fine soldiers here to Washington D.C. free of charge to say Thank You for your service and sacrifices. 

  

For my visitors who did not know there is such a program out there to honor our veterans by helping them get to Washington D.C. to see the national war monuments and talk to fellow soldiers, I have attached some of the history of Honors Flight Network  and some of the pictures I took while in Washington DC.

 

 

Time is of the Essence

Based on recent 2008 statistics, we are losing World War II veterans at the rate of approximately 1,000 per day.

 

Honor Flight Network will continue do whatever it takes to fulfill the dreams of our veterans and help our senior heroes travel absolutely free.

Subsequent to the World War II veterans, our efforts will then focus on our Korean War and then Vietnam War veterans, honoring them similarly

All donations to our federal, nonprofit, 501(c)3 organization are tax deductible. Contributors should consult their tax advisor concerning the financial benefits of making such a donation to Honor Flight Network.

The History of Honor Flight

The inaugural Honor Flight took place in May of 2005. Six small planes flew out of Springfield, Ohio taking twelve World War II veterans on a visit to the memorial in Washington, DC. In August of 2005, an ever-expanding waiting list of veterans led our transition to commercial airline carriers with the goal of accommodating as many veterans as possible. Partnering with Honor Air in Hendersonville, North Carolina, we formed the "Honor Flight Network." Today, we continue working aggressively to expand our programs to other cities across the nation.

How a Dream Became a Reality

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.

The Spark of an Idea

Earl could tell that the majority of the veterans had given up all hope of ever visiting the memorial that was specifically created to honor their services as well as the services of their fellow comrades who had paid the ultimate sacrifice.

That's when Earl decided that there had to be a way to get these heroes to D.C. to see their memorial.

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