Honor Flight Fayette Presents Flag to Sheriff’s Department

 Pictured left to right:  Sergeant Doug Hardy, Investigator Brent Lonkert, Investigator Chad Wallace, Captain Brian Eubanks, Sheriff Wayne Hannah, Honor Flight vice president Mark Buckner and Honor Flight Fayette president Gail Sparrow

On each flight Honor Flight Fayette makes, one or two United States flags make the trip with the veterans to the World War II memorial and back to Fayetteville. After they return, the board makes the sometimes difficult decision as to which group that has helped HFF should receive the flag. The difficulty is due to the fact that so many individuals and groups have helped make these trips possible.

If you took a literal count of each person who has helped Honor Flight Fayette, it would number in the hundreds, maybe even a thousand. That includes each person who donated time, money, ideas and each and every effort – no matter how small or large. Groups like the Patriot Guard, VFW and American Legion posts, schools and others have contributed. Then there have been individuals who donated large and small amounts of money to help, or donated their time and talents. It would take a very long article to list the many ways people in Fayette county have made this huge project so successful.

The Fayette County Sheriff’s department has been there for each and every trip Honor Flight Fayette has made to D.C. Assisted by Fayetteville and Peachtree City police, they escort the buses of World War II veterans to the airport very early in the morning and back to Fayetteville late that same day. The veterans are always in awe of the traffic that is stopped so they can make this trip quickly and safely. Without the Sheriff’s office, this would not be possible. This is one of the reasons they were chosen to receive a flag at a reception held for the veterans and guardians who made the trip in May.

September 15th will mark the 7th and final trip by Honor Flight Fayette to D.C. with a group of about 70 veterans. This will make a total of almost 500 vets that have made this trip since the first one in 2008.

Honor Flight Fayette would like to encourage anyone who can to line the streets with their flags on September 15th and give this last group the send off they deserve. The buses will leave Fayetteville First United Methodist Church at 6:30 a.m. and will travel Hwy 54 west, turn right on Hwy 85 north and then north on Hwy 314 to the airport. And, of course, the Fayette County Sheriff’s office will be there again to help.

-----
Community News You Can Use
www.fayettefrontpage.com
Fayette Front Page
www.georgiafrontpage.com
Georgia Front Page
Follow us on Twitter:  @GAFrontPage