News

Southeastern Minnesota HONOR FLIGHT
INITIAL TRIP TO FLY WW II VETS ON April 19 2008

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
The National Honor Flight program is spreading its wings.  The first Southeastern Minnesota Honor Flight will take to the skies with WWII veterans from Southeast Minnesota, Western Wisconsin and Northern Iowa.  Their destination will be Washington D. C., where they will personally tour America’s “Thank You” for their service, their World War II Memorial.    

The one-day trip is open to all WWII veterans in Southeastern Minnesota, Western Wisconsin and Northern Iowa, departing Rochester Saturday April 19, 2008.  Veterans are escorted and cared for by guardians (volunteers) who accompany them as they visit the WWII, Iwo Jima, Korean, Lincoln and Vietnam Memorials.  The guardians pay their own way. All expenses are provided at no cost to the WW II veterans.  In fact, donations from WW II veterans will not be accepted. They have given us a free world. Now it’s our turn to pay them back. Please consider a donation to sponsor WW II Veterans at a cost of $450.00 per Veteran. We need any amount that you can afford. This is a small way for us to say thank you to a generation that has given so much that can never be repaid. 

WWII veterans interested in going on the trip may find an application form at:  www.honorflight.org or by contacting either Harry Kerr at 507 281 0416, Ted Adams at 507 282 2449 VFW in Rochester, MN or the Honor Flight National Office (937-521-2400) in Springfield, Ohio.

Time is not on our side.  According to the Department of Veterans Affairs and Arlington National Cemetery statistics, about 1,200 WWII Veterans pass away EACH DAY.  The youngest WWII Vet is 80 years old.  In another 5 to 10 years, most WWII Veterans will be gone.   We are asking the public’s support to help make this trip possible for these veterans who saved the world … before it’s too late. Unfortunately, Honor Flight receives no corporate or government sponsorship.  We are funded solely by public donations, and we need $55,000 to make this Honor Flight happen.       

If you could support this inaugural Southeastern Honor Flight, please send your tax deductible check to:  Soldiers Field Veterans Memorial mark it “Honor Flight” 201 4th St SE, RM 150, Rochester, MN 55904 

Every World War II veteran can remember where he was when President Roosevelt addressed the nation: “Yesterday, December 7, 1941, a date which will live in infamy, the United States was suddenly and deliberately attacked by the naval and air forces of the empire of Japan.”  Their lives were forever changed.

Honor Flight Network, now in its fourth year, is committed to positively changing the lives of WWII veterans with a trip to Washington D.C. to visit their Memorial.  Honor Flight has safely transported over 5,000 veterans to our nation’s capitol.   If you would like more information about Honor Flight, please visit the web site at www.honorflight.org, call (937) 521-2400, or write: Honor Flight Inc., 300 E. Auburn Ave, Springfield OH 45505.

Local information can be obtained by contacting the Southeastern Honor Flight organizers, Harry Kerr at 507 281 0416 or Ted Adams at 507 282 2449 

Further information:
Wayne Stillman 289 8981