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Posted at 1:30pm on Nov. 12, 2007 Send Them There

Help Send WWII Vets to the WWII Memorial

By Mark I

This morning, ABC’s Good Morning America profiled a heroic organization with an urgent mission for our World War II veterans. Honor Flight is an organization whose mission is to provide free trips to Washington DC for WWII veterans so that they can view this country’s long overdue tribute to their sacrifices. The World War II Memorial on the National Mall is three years old. But, many of the surviving veterans who fought in that war are too old, infirm, or financially unable to travel to Washington themselves to see it. Honor Flight seeks to remove those obstacles for our veterans, and provides them with the experience of a lifetime. You can see the video of the GMA report here.

Honor Flight was founded by retired Air Force Captain Earl Morse. Capt. Morse is a physician’s assistant whose patients include many WWII veterans. He started the organization after it became clear to him that many of his patients, despite their desire to go to Washington, would be unable to do so on their own. The first flight took place in May of 2005 and consisted entirely of six private planes flying veterans to Manassas, Virginia, and then escorting the veterans to Washington for a tour of the memorial.

Today, Honor Flight partners with businesses and community groups to sponsor chartered commercial flights of 40 veterans and 17 sponsors each. World War II Veterans travel free and no donations are accepted from them. The cost of one flight is $10,000.

This Veteran’s Day, please consider making a donation to this very worthwhile organization. Or consider asking your community or church group to raise the funds necessary to sponsor a flight. Our World War II veterans are dying at a rate of 1,200-1,500 per day. After all they have given to this nation, the least any of us can do is help them get to Washington so they can see firsthand the honor and appreciation that the nation has bestowed upon them in the World War II Memorial.

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