Peggy McGee
On April 18, 72 World War II veterans will be traveling to Washington, DC to see their memorial courtesy of the Southern Arizona Honor Flight program. Honor Flight Network is a nonprofit organization created solely to honor America’s WWII veterans for all their sacrifices.
The cost per person is $1000 but each veteran travels free because of donations received from individuals and corporations. Residents of Unit 15 and The Women of Quail Creek have each sponsored a veteran for one of the flights. Other clubs might want to consider this for a philanthropic project.
Each vet is accompanied by a guardian who pays his or her own way. Guardians on the April 18 trip include Quail Creek residents Dave Andersen, Laurie Brown, Doug Mutter and David Rozanc. Other QC residents who have served as guardians include: Karen Baker, Sharon Corcoran, Nancy Hebert, Roger Kreitzberg, Nancy Lammers, Muriel Larson, Richard Murphy, Drew Park, Suzanne Parsons, Sheila Perry, Kay and Ray Robinson, Ellen Sussman, William Wilson, Ronald Woelfel and Bill Woodrow. Each has said it was an experience they will never forget and are willing to share their experiences with anyone who asks.
One of the highlights of the Honor Flights is Mail Call which takes place on the return flight. Each veteran is given letters written by family members, friends, school children and total strangers.
The peace and prosperity enjoyed since WWII can be largely attributed to America’s success and the veterans’ valor in the war. Please write letters to the veterans to honor and thank them for their service. For the complete list of all 72 names, please visit www.womenqc.com.
Generic letters to Dear Veteran may also be sent and the organizers will divide them among the veterans to help ensure that each gets the same number of letters. Please put each letter in an envelope with the veteran’s name on it. If the letter is for any veteran, do not address the envelope and the organizers will take care of it. The veterans read and reread these letters many times, often with tears in their eyes since many believe that their service has been forgotten.
Please take letters to Kay Robinson, 898 N. Kenneth Drive or the Concierge Desk by Thursday, April 16.
All are invited to the Departure Level for US Airways at the Tucson Airport (TIA) between 6:00 and 7:30 a.m. on April 18 to see the veterans off and on April 20 from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. when they return. Use either Hourly or Economy Parking and bring the parking ticket to the counter. The airport may be able to validate it.
To support the Honor Flight mission, tax deductible donations may be made at www.honorflightsaz.org or checks payable to Honor Flight Tucson may be sent to P.O. Box 32649, Tucson, Arizona 85751. Forms for WWII vets to register for a future Honor Flight as well as information becoming a guardian may also be found on the website.