Honor Flight Fayette Prepares for 6th Trip to Washington DC

Board members, volunteers and guardians are just as excited to be planning this trip to our nation’s capitol, to take World War II veterans to see their memorial, as they were for the first flight 2 years and 420 veterans ago. In fact, this non-profit organization has not waned in their determination to see that as many veterans as possible take this trip.

The project has a sense of urgency since all of the World War II veterans are over 80 years of age and many are in declining health. In fact, we are losing them at the rate of 1,000 per day in this country.

The next trip is planned for May 4th, and everyone is invited and encouraged to give this group a warm send off. They will leave First United Methodist Church in buses around 6:30 a.m. and travel west on Highway 54 to Highway 85 north, taking 314 toward the airport.

The Patriot Guard will lead the buses as combined members of all local law enforcement agencies smooth the way for the buses to the airport. The veterans are always very surprised at those waving flags on the sidewalks, traffic stopping at intersections and police officers saluting them as they pass by in the buses. They usually say they don’t understand what all the fuss is about, but they really do appreciate and enjoy it.

Every measure is taken to insure the veterans’ safety on this excursion. A doctor, 2 nurses and 4 medical personnel are on each flight, and the guardians must attend a training session before they are allowed to accompany a veteran.

If you would like to volunteer, make a donation or obtain further information about this organization, please check honorflightfayette.org or call 770-719-1024.

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Honor Flight Fayette Prepares for 6th Trip to DC

On May 4th, Honor Flight Fayette will take another group of World War II veterans to Washington, D.C. to see their memorial, bringing the total to about 420 men and women who have been honored by this non-profit organization since May of 2008.

A very dedicated group of volunteers has worked tirelessly for 2 ½ years to insure that members of our “greatest generation” have a day trip that they will not forget, because we are losing these men and women at the rate of over 1,000 per day. Also, a doctor, 2 nurses and 4 members of the Fayette county emergency medical staff accompanies each flight.

The day begins with breakfast, often provided by Chick-fil-A or Waffle House, at Fayetteville First United Methodist Church. There the veterans mingle for the first time that day with others of their era to reflect and remember. Then they board buses from FFUMC and First Baptist of Fayetteville, and leave to cheers and waving of flags by appreciative members of the community.

In addition to being escorted by the Fayette County Sheriff’s office, Fayetteville police department and Peachtree City police officers, the buses are led by members of the Patriot Guard motorcycle group. Many of these men and women have flags mounted on the rear of their motorcycles, and they form an “honor guard” for the veterans to pass through from the buses into the Atlanta airport. The veterans have always stated their appreciation for all of these groups, and are amazed that cars stop and police officers salute as they pass through intersections.

Air Tran makes this flight memorable for everyone involved in so many ways. They have extra security lines open just for this group, as many of them move slowly or are in wheelchairs, which are always provided at no charge by Absolute Medical. When the plane lands at Reagan Airport, and when they return to Atlanta, they are greeted by crowds cheering and waving flags who have been alerted by Air Tran of their arrival. There are many tears and smiles by the veterans who often ask in surprise “are these people all here for us?” When they returned from World War II there was no fanfare, just concern about finding jobs and returning to civilian life, and they are very moved by this display of patriotism and gratitude.

In Washington, D.C. they board comfortable motor coaches and are taken to their Memorial where they spend time observing and recalling memories of their service during war time. Some of them have never shared with their families their experiences of being shot down, as prisoners of war, or hiding from the enemy with the help of those on our side in foreign lands. They were at Pearl Harbor, Omaha Beach, Normandy or served stateside, and many of them have been decorated, but all are heroes.

A group of active and guard military personnel meets every flight at Reagan Airport and assists Honor Flight Fayette, and their guardian volunteers, with the veterans throughout the day. Their support, led by SSG Joshua Romans of Fayetteville, is invaluable and much appreciated by HFF and the veterans.

If time permits, a stop is made at other memorials. However, a stop is always made at Arlington Cemetery where they watch the changing of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknown. This solemn ceremony never fails to evoke appreciation from those who have, or those who have not, served in our military.

Dinner is back at Reagan Airport in a space provided by the local USO. By now, tired but at the same time energized by their experiences, the veterans share with each other about the day they have just enjoyed, and are enlightened by the stories of those who served in different areas of combat than they had experienced.

Back in Atlanta, the veterans are once again greeted, even late in the day, by Air Tran personnel and everyone else in the area who has heard the announcement that they are arriving. Once again they hear “thank you for your service” and receive hugs or handshakes of appreciation. They board the church buses for Fayetteville and a day, many say, was the “best day of my life”, although some add “after my marriage” or “the birth of my children”. Any way you look at it, Honor Flight Fayette and the citizens of Fayette county have given a special gift to those who made our many freedoms of life today possible.

A few weeks after each flight Fayette Senior Services volunteers their facility so that Honor Flight Fayette can host a reception and reunion of the veterans, their family members, their guardians, volunteers and the HFF board members. More surprises await them at this reception, and it is a memorable time for all involved.

If you would like to contribute to Honor Flight Fayette, are a veteran, or wish to be a volunteer or guardian, please call 770-719-1024. However, no donations will be accepted from World War II veterans as the sole purpose of Honor Flight Fayette is to thank them for their patriotism and sacrifices.

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Honor Flight Veterans have Mail Call on Flight to DC

Bella Vransevich, Mrs. Springer, Abby Thompson show the V-mail letters written to the veterans


Thanks to students in Jo Springers' social studies classes at Huddleston Elementary in Peachtree City, veterans traveling to Washington, D.C. with Honor Flight Fayette in October, November or May this school year received an extra surprise.

The students wrote letters in "V-mail" style, which was the way they were written and mailed during WWII, and they were passed out during "mail call" while members of the greatest generation were in flight to the nation's capitol. Questions ranged from "were you scared", "did you miss your family", "were any of your friends or family killed" and "were you injured" to inquiries about where they fought and what branch of the service they were in. Their questions showed a genuine concern for the veterans as well as curiosity and interest about the people and events during that tumultuous time in our nation's history.

Mrs. Springer stated that the students have received replies from many of the veterans, as well as visits to their classrooms. She also said they all felt they had "touched history, and what the children did was truly a labor of love". Mrs. Springer is also proud of her students' vast knowledge of a period of time during which their grandfathers or great-grandfathers were vital participants.

As a board member of Honor Flight Fayette, Mrs. Springer knows what an undertaking it is to prepare for and carry out these "missions" to D.C. in honor of the men and women of World War II. In fact, Honor Flight Fayette, which is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, exists solely to raise monies for these trips so that veterans can visit their memorial at no charge to them, and no veteran is allowed to donate toward this cause. And, because we are losing these brave citizens at the rate of 1,200 per day in this country, time to honor them is of the essence. The Fayette County branch of the national Honor Flight organization has lost several veterans already, some of whom were scheduled to go on a flight they never got to make.

If you would like to be a guardian, volunteer or to donate to this endeavor please go to honorflightfayette.org Applications for veterans can also be obtained at this site or you can call 770-719-1924.

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