Donations will keep flights flying
Sunday, February 18, 2007
By PATRICIA C. McCARTER
Hunstville (AL) Times
Fall trip to D.C. will include more veterans but will cost more, too
Honor Flight Tennessee Valley has enough money to fund its inaugural transport of World War II veterans to their memorial in Washington, D.C., but it's got a long way to go to pay for the next group of former soldiers.
Local Honor Flight board President Joe Fitzgerald said donors have given enough to cover the $20,000 cost to fly 13 veterans plus three medical personnel to look after them on the April 4 trip.
"This community cares about its veterans, just as we knew it would," Fitzgerald said. "I just can't tell you how excited these men are, and we regret that we can't get more there sooner."
But even though the group is still two months from its first trip to the memorial, it already has to focus on raising enough money to make the second and larger trip - planned for early fall - a success. That flight will be on a chartered jet with 75 veterans on it, and the price tag will be $60,000 to $70,000.
"And then we'll need to raise even more for additional charter flights until we've gotten every World War II veteran who wants to see that memorial there and back," Fitzgerald said.
"The success of this program depends largely on securing the money to do so."
More than 230 veterans have applied for the trip. Applications can be picked up at The Times or filled out online at www.honorflight.net.
Applications to be guardians are also available, and training for those helpers is planned for mid-March. Leading the training will be Earl Morse, the Ohio physician assistant and retired Air Force pilot who founded Honor Flight two years ago. Since then, Honor Flight has taken almost 900 veterans on daylong trips to Washington for free.
Fitzgerald said the Tennessee Valley chapter also will bring flags that draped the coffins of World War II veterans. A ceremony will be conducted at the memorial to honor the men and women who have died.
"Logistically, we can only handle so many flags," he said. "But we think it is something that's going to mean a lot to their families."
Sunday, February 18, 2007
By PATRICIA C. McCARTER
Hunstville (AL) Times
Fall trip to D.C. will include more veterans but will cost more, too
Honor Flight Tennessee Valley has enough money to fund its inaugural transport of World War II veterans to their memorial in Washington, D.C., but it's got a long way to go to pay for the next group of former soldiers.
Local Honor Flight board President Joe Fitzgerald said donors have given enough to cover the $20,000 cost to fly 13 veterans plus three medical personnel to look after them on the April 4 trip.
"This community cares about its veterans, just as we knew it would," Fitzgerald said. "I just can't tell you how excited these men are, and we regret that we can't get more there sooner."
But even though the group is still two months from its first trip to the memorial, it already has to focus on raising enough money to make the second and larger trip - planned for early fall - a success. That flight will be on a chartered jet with 75 veterans on it, and the price tag will be $60,000 to $70,000.
"And then we'll need to raise even more for additional charter flights until we've gotten every World War II veteran who wants to see that memorial there and back," Fitzgerald said.
"The success of this program depends largely on securing the money to do so."
More than 230 veterans have applied for the trip. Applications can be picked up at The Times or filled out online at www.honorflight.net.
Applications to be guardians are also available, and training for those helpers is planned for mid-March. Leading the training will be Earl Morse, the Ohio physician assistant and retired Air Force pilot who founded Honor Flight two years ago. Since then, Honor Flight has taken almost 900 veterans on daylong trips to Washington for free.
Fitzgerald said the Tennessee Valley chapter also will bring flags that draped the coffins of World War II veterans. A ceremony will be conducted at the memorial to honor the men and women who have died.
"Logistically, we can only handle so many flags," he said. "But we think it is something that's going to mean a lot to their families."
