In The News
Letter: Participating in World War II Honor Flight a once-in-a-lifetime experience
Arthur R. McNees, Vero Beach
As one of the declining number of World War II veterans, I had the privilege of flying to Washington, D.C., on the Southeast Florida Honor Flight May 14.
It is not possible to express gratitude to all the people involved but they should be acknowledged. Seventy-five veterans were fed, bused, flown and escorted to the World War II and six other memorials.
The Knights of Columbus fed us breakfast and then we took a bus to the West Palm Beach Airport. All along the route, people and fire departments lined the road and cheered us on. We had a police escort from Stuart to West Palm Beach and the same when we returned. At the airport we were met with hundreds of people (at 6 a.m.) who shook our hands and thanked us for our services.
Each veteran was paired with a volunteer who was by our side or pushing the wheelchairs, and they paid several hundred dollars — each out of the goodness of their hearts. We were accompanied by medical staff. Honor Flight raises the funds to provide all of this for the veterans at no charge, including the chartered US Airways plane.
I was offered water, snacks, lunch on the bus, dinner on the plane, bananas and directions to the restrooms.
It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience and I cannot begin to thank every one involved.
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