DESTINATION WASHINGTON D.C.: We have waited more than three months since our last Honor Flight and now are counting down the hours until Spirit charter 1941 departs for Baltimore-Washington International at 5:45 a.m. Saturday.
As one volunteer said Wednesday night, “It’s almost game time…. you can feel the buzz.”
There are 73 veterans — 12 World War II, 19 Korean and 42 Vietnam veterans — scheduled to fly. Our itinerary is somewhat different this time. First stop: the Marine Corps/Iwo Jima memorial, then on to the Changing of the Guard at Arlington National Cemetery and later a visit to the National Mall to see the World War II and Korean memorials and the Vietnam Wall.
Even if you are not on the flight or scheduled as a working volunteer, you can still be part of the day:
- Follow our veterans to the memorials with our regular updates, photos and interviews on Facebook and Instagram. Remember to “LIKE” us on Facebook and “FOLLOW” us on Instagram. Share our posts so more people get to be a part of this day in living history.
- There’s still time to invite friends to join you for the traditional homecoming celebration. Flight 1945 is scheduled to return to Fort Lauderdale Terminal 4 at 8 p.m. If you have been there before, you know the excitement and the big crowd, so try to arrive by 7:30. See the flyer below.
- CBS Channel 4 is scheduled to be on the flight and an announcement will be sent later to let you know when to set your DVR.
THINKING OF JED: Unfortunately, Honor Flight South Florida treasurer Jed Wolcott will not be with us Saturday. Chairman Rick Asper said that Jed is recovering after an accident in a golf cart in Tavares. Our prayers are with Jed and hope he will be back with us soon. If you would like to send a note or card to Jed, please email ricka@aviation-professionals.com for the address.
MORE FLIGHT NEWS: Stay tuned for our 2020 flight schedule — Rick Asper said he expects a major announcement when the flight arrives back in Fort Lauderdale Saturday night. … The October 19 flight is all set with a full roster of veterans and guardians. If you would like to help with the “ground crew,” email tom.christensen720@gmail.com and specify whether early morning check-in or homecoming.
RECRUITING VETERANS: We can all help here. We currently have 133 veterans on the waiting list after the October flight. We will need approximately three times as many in 2020. Honor Flight often attends special events and occasionally you will see requests here for some volunteers. But you also are encouraged to attend events in your city to spread the word about Honor Flight. Many veterans still don’t know about this free trip to Washington. We especially need help in finding veterans in Miami-Dade County. Vietnam veterans are now eligible, but many don’t know this. Encourage them to register on the website www.honorflightsouthflorida.org.
As a volunteer, one of the biggest contributions you can make is trying to register veterans. “We all need to be involved in recruiting,” vice chairman Mike Miskew said. If you know of an organization that would like a presentation, contact Mike — mikemiskew@gmail.com.
FUNDRAISING: Here is another area where we often need volunteers — sometimes with scheduled events; other times with volunteers taking the initiative and planning a fundraiser. If you have ideas or are available to help with fundraising, contact Joe Ewart — joe@cruisejungle.com.
Some upcoming events:
- Indoor flea market: This Saturday at Volunteer Park, Plantation, 8 a.m.— 2 p.m.
- Flight 19 restaurant: Tuesday, October 22; 1103 E. Las Olas Blvd., Fort Lauderdale.
- Golf tournament at Davie Golf Club, sponsored by Mission BBQ, Friday, November 1; $125, register at honorflightgolf.com or at Mission BBQ.
- Painting with a Purpose: Tuesday, November 5, 6:15 p.m.; email Elaine Martin — fl54@hotmail.com.
- Beatles cover band “2 of Us +1”: Thursday, November 14, 7 p.m. at The Greek Joint, 1925 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood; appetizers and show $40; register at www.beatlemaniaplusone.com or at the door.
- Raffle for Caribbean cruise on Norwegian: $10 raffle tickets to go on sale probably in October.
NEXT MEETINGS: Mark your calendars for the remainder of 2019. Meetings are scheduled for 6:30 p.m. on these Wednesday nights:
October 16 — Broward College, Davie, building 22, room 136
November 13 — Broward College
December 11 — Plantation Fire Department, 550 NW 65th Ave.
Remember to register for meeting updates and other news at www.honorflightsouthflorida.org/register/
—Tom Christensen, volunteer coordinator