doginspired
We Make A Life By What We Give.
I
The inaugural Honor Flight Tour took place in May 2005 out of Springfield, Ohio with six private planes carrying 12 WW II veterans. By August 2005, an ever-expanding waiting list of veterans prompted the organization to begin using commercial airline carriers with the goal of accom- modating as many veterans as possible. The Honor Flight Network was conceived by Earl
Morse, a physician assistant and retired Air Force Captain living in Springfield, Ohio. When the WWII Memorial was finally completed in May 2004, it became the topic of discussion among Earl’s WWII veteran patients. He asked each of them if they would ever travel to D.C. to visit their memorial. Most felt that somehow, eventually they would make it there. As the veterans returned to the clinic for their follow-
up visits, it became clear to Earl and his patients, most of whom were in their eighties, that it wasn’t financially or physically possible for them to make the journey to Washington, D.C. on their own. In addition to being a physician assistant, Earl was a
private pilot and a member of the nation’s largest aero club based out of Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton, Ohio. In December 2004, Earl asked one of his WWII patients if he would fly with him to D.C., free of charge. In graciously accepting the offer, Mr. Loy broke down and cried, telling Earl that at his age, he would probably never get to see his memorial otherwise. A week later, Earl posed the same question to a sec-
According to the Department of Veterans Affairs, an estimated 640 World War II veterans die each day. The Honor Flight Network is a non-profit organization created solely to honor America’s veterans. Volunteers transport these heroes to Washington, D.C. to visit and reflect upon their memorial. Top priority is given to the senior veterans of World War II along with other veterans who may be terminally ill. Inspired by his Therapy Dog Nettles, Alan Landers (shown above) was determined to make a difference.
Story and photographs by Anna Cooke. “We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.” ~Winston Churchill.
28 THE NEW BARKER
ond WWII veteran who also broke down, enthusiastically accepting the offer. There were many veterans who want- ed to make the trip, so Earl started asking for help from fel- low pilots. In January 2005, Earl addressed about 150 members of the aero club, outlining a volunteer program to fly veterans to their memorial. For pilots to qualify, there were two stipulations: One — the veterans would pay nothing. The entire aircraft rental (between $600 and $1200 for the day) would have to be paid solely by the pilots. Two — the pilots must personally escort the veter- ans around D.C. for the entire day. 11 pilots stepped up to volunteer for the first Honor Flight on that day in May 2005.
The mission and ideals of the program began to
spread across America. By the end of 2006, 891 WWII vet- erans realized their dream of visiting their memorial, absolutely free of charge. Through the end of 2012, Honor Flight Network transported 98,500 veterans to Washington, D.C. The program has grown to include 127 hubs in 41 states, including Florida with nine hubs. The Honor Flight of West Central Florida hub has flown 1,415 veterans out of Tampa Bay’s St. Petersburg/Clearwater Airport since 2011.
www.TheNewBarker.com
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