MOLINE, ILL. (May 29, 2013) -- World War II and Korean War veterans visited Washington D.C., on May 23, for a free one-day trip provided by the Honor Flight of the Quad-Cities to recognize their sacrifice and service to the nation.
"The Quad-Cities supports their veterans," said Bob Morrison, hub director of HFQC, development and marketing director for Ridgecrest Village. "I value so much of what veterans do for our country, but I feel they are not getting nearly the respect that they should. The great thing about the Honor Flight is that I am not the only one who thinks that way."
Honor Flight was established in May 2005, when six planes flew 12 World War II veterans to visit the World War II Memorial in Washington D.C. The program was designed to provide a flight, free of charge, to WWII veterans and other veterans who meet specific criteria with health being one of the major factors. The program flew 105 veterans in the first year.
"Bill Shore, a WWII veteran, came to me and asked if the Honor Flight was a creditable organization," said Morrison. "At that time, I never heard of the program. Therefore, I researched and contacted their headquarters in Springfield, Ohio. I talked to retired Air Force Capt. Earl Morse, who started the Honor Flight program. When I asked Morse if the program was creditable, he told me to ask Sen. Bob Dole, because he was involved. I knew it had to be creditable if the senator was involved."
"I then called the St. Louis, Mo. hub, and told them I had 42 veterans who were interested in taking the Honor Flight," said Morrison. "They told me their waiting list was over 9,000 people and I replied some of these veterans are in their 80s and 90s and may not make the wait, St. Louis replied start your own hub then, so I did."
"I put together a team, and the CEO of the Quad-City International Airport assigned his top person and his marketing director to the board," said Morrison. "Terry Dell, former commander, American Legion #26, David Woods, veterans service officer, Scott County, Iowa, a couple of retired military officers, a minister and an attorney. They all volunteered and paid their way on our first flight and are still with us."
The HFQC board was established in spring 2008 and planned to start the flights in April 2009. However, with the outpouring of support for the program and the number of veterans interested in attending, the first flight was pushed up to November 2008, Morrison added.
"We had five flights in 2009 and eight flights in 2010," said Morrison. "We tried to get as many flights as possible, because we are losing our WWII veterans at a rapid pace. Our goal is to allow those veterans to see their memorial before it is too late."
The numbers of WWII veterans on the flights were dwindling; in response, the board opened the flights to Korean War veterans. Vietnam veterans are not currently included in the flight, but they can be guardians, added Morrison.
"Last year we did four flights and this year we are planning five flights, with the next flight in August," said Morrison. "The HFQC is dedicated to all veterans and we want to ensure that all eligible veterans are able to take part of the Honor Flight."
"The HFQC had their 23rd honor flight on May 23, before Memorial Day," said Kathy Rochau, QC International Airport marketing representative and HFQC board member. "Initially it was 100 percent WWII veterans and due to the passing away of these heroes or their inability to attend because of medical concerns or conditions, we have started accepting Korean War veterans since 2012."
Memorial Day is the day when America mourns its military war dead. This day is a chance for veterans to remember and honor the sacrifices of their comrades and friends and families honor the service members who did not come home.
"Two months ago we started prepping for the flight," said Morrison. "At this time, we coordinate the details and have an orientation with the guardians and veterans. They have a chance to meet each other and then we lay out what is going to happen. The biggest thing the guardians have to understand is the trip is not about them, it is about the veterans. The guardians have to be vigilant all day to prevent mishaps. It is an honor for them and they realize that. The guardians pay $500 for the privilege of escorting the veterans to see their memorials in Washington D.C."
"At 4 a.m., on the day of the flight, volunteers and members of the Patriot Guard arrive to greet people and to set up everything for the veterans' arrival," said Morrison. "There have been 60 wheelchairs donated for our use, we keep at the airport. Veterans that need, or want, a wheelchair are able to go from car to chair. The guardians get their boarding passes at 5 a.m. with the veterans receiving theirs 30 minutes later. The veterans normally show up at 5 a.m., and once they get their boarding passes they are divided into their bus groups, red, white or blue. Once this is complete, the veterans begin to clear through security. We have a few veterans and their guardians show up at 5 a.m. to be on standby in case someone does not show up or are unable to fly. If the veterans on standby do not fly that day, they are placed at the top of the list for the next flight. The flight leaves at 7 a.m. and returns at 10 p.m., it is a 2-hour flight."
The veterans are given unique Honor Flight shirts in a color unavailable to anyone else. The guardians also receive a shirt that is unique in color, which allows them to be identified easier by the veterans. A local drug store retailer takes pictures of the veterans in front of the American flag and provides them, at no cost, two pictures with a collage of the memorials they will visit. They also receive a fanny pack, with a disposable camera and a book about the memorials, which are donated. The veterans also receive free coffee, donuts and other food items, added Morrison.
"We chartered a 737-700, from Minnesota with 162 seats and all of them are full," said Morrison. "On this flight, we have 14 WWII veterans, 70 Korean era veterans and about 72 guardians. If the veterans are mobile then we assigned two of them to one guardian. The other veterans who require wheelchairs have their own guardian assigned to look after their needs. By the end of the day, there are more veterans in wheelchairs than at the beginning of the day."
"The plane holds 165 people, with a split of 90-100 seats for veterans," said Rochau. "There have been almost 3,800 veterans and guardians that have taken part of the program. Each plane is always 99-100 percent full."
He said 91 veterans have flown this year.
"We have about 15 schools in Illinois and Iowa that write letters to our veterans," said Morrison. "This is something that we do not tell our veterans ahead of time. On the plane, we have assigned seating for everyone and we have packets of letters for all the veterans on the plane. We then have our bus captains call out a veteran's name, and give them their packet of letters. Some veterans, after reading the letters, want to go to the schools and talk to the children who wrote them. This has happened multiple times."
Last fall, a school in Savannah, Ill., after hearing about a book featuring a grandson talking his grandfather into taking an Honor Flight, held a bike-a-thon in their school and raised more than $5,000 to donate to the Honor Flight. This year they opened it up to all the schools in their community and they were able to raise more than $15,000 to help veterans get on the flight.
"Over half the veterans that attend the flight are in wheelchairs and a few are on oxygen," said Morrison. "We own five oxygen concentrators for the flights, since we cannot take oxygen tanks on the plane. We have a friend at the United Service Organization at Washington Dulles International Airport, Va. We send him the prescriptions for oxygen and he has it donated and waiting for us on arrival. There are more than 100 people waiting to greet us when we get there."
"On our 15th flight, the head of the Transportation Security Administration witnessed the veterans going through the security checkpoints, following the security protocols that his agency set," said Morrison. "He recognized the inconvenience that these protocols were causing our older veterans. Now, the Honor Flights submit the names of those taking the flights and those on standby to the TSA and they are cleared before they arrive. This accommodation by the TSA allows the HFQC to add an hour of time to their itinerary."
The first destination is the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum's Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center, which is the home of the Space Shuttle Discovery and the Enola Gay. This site is one-half of the largest collection of aviation and space artifacts in the world along with the main museum in Washington D.C., added Morrison.
"Next, we head to the WWII Memorial and take a group picture with the 4,000 gold stars on the memorial, which represents 100 American lives lost during the war," said Morrison. "We have a memorial service at the Iowa and Illinois pillars of the monument, using a burial flag entrusted to our care by families who lost a service member from each of the states. We use this to represent the fallen of all wars."
"Afterward, we head to the Air Force Memorial, then to the Pentagon Memorial and on to the Iwo Jima Memorial. Later, we head to the Women in Military Service for America Memorial before entering Arlington National Cemetery," said Morrison.
"We have the privilege, thanks to the leadership at Arlington, to take our buses near the changing of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknowns," said Morrison. "Normally, only a special transit bus is allowed to that location, they make an exception for our veterans. A military escort is provided from the gates of the cemetery to the Tomb. Often, the veterans are addressed by a service member serving at the Tomb of the Unknowns."
After the visit, the group returns to the buses and have another meal, then proceeds to the Korean War Veterans, Vietnam Veterans War and the Lincoln National Memorials, Morrison added.
"The whole day is very emotional," said Morrison. Once we leave here, we head back to the plane and feed everyone again on the flight back to the QC."
After returning to the QCIA, the veterans unload the plane and receive a packet with the picture they took earlier and have ice cream from a local retailer. Next, the veterans line up starting with airport shuttle carts, the wheel chaired veterans and lastly, the walking veterans. The unsuspecting veterans form a processional and walk toward security to go home after a long and fulfilling day.
What happens next brings many of the members of the greatest generation and those in the conflicts that followed, to tears. Family, friends, service members, members of the community, veteran service and other organizations pack the QCIA to capacity forming two lines. As the veterans pass through security they hear the sounds of a bagpiper, then see the flags held by the honor guard and the cheering and clapping of hundreds of people welcoming them home. For some, this is the first time.
"For many veterans, when they came back to the United States there was no welcoming committee or parades, just a bus ticket or a taxi ride home," said Morrison.
People shake their hands, thanking them for their service and sacrifice. Many veterans are moved to tears, thankful for this moment, allowing them to reflect on their service and the grateful nation that is showing its gratitude.
"I never had such a good feeling as I do about the Honor Flight program," said Morrison. "This is the best I ever felt about something, it is the right thing to do. It is helping families, immensely. Family members often ask me, what you did to my grandparent, they seem 10 years younger than before they left. The veterans are more willing to talk about their experiences in the war after the flight."
"Veterans that attend this flight are changed when they return," said Rochau. "At first, we were concerned that the veterans would not want to go because they did not want to relive those memories. What we are finding out, is they are reliving those moments and talking to their buddies, who shared the same sacrifices. I feel that visiting the memorials, allow the veterans to have a sense of closure and talk with friends. Even the guardians are changed by the veterans' stories and experiences. We can learn so much from them and take a life lesson from what they did to protect our freedoms."
"We want our veterans to open up and not let these memories be gone forever," said Morrison. We want them to tell stories of their experiences to their families, many of them for the first time."
The flights are paid for by donations from individuals, businesses and organizations in the local community. Other organizations donate time and necessary items, such as meals and water to keep the veterans in good shape for the long day ahead.
"A few years ago, we were approached about helping provide wheelchairs for HFQC and we have been here ever since," said Tom Taylor, QC Walgreens community leader. "We donate volunteers and supplies to help make the flight successful. We also provide candid pictures of their experiences in Washington D.C. the day of the flight and provide access to those pictures without cost, so the veterans can print whatever picture they choose."
"I get about 5-10 memorial gifts a month, about half are from people who took the flight and the other half are from those who passed on before they could," said Morrison. "The families provide the gift in accordance with the recently deceased veterans wishes, they were unable to take the flight, but they want to make sure someone else does."
"The community support is amazing, we have over 200 volunteers that help with every flight, said Morrison."
"We will continue to provide the Honor Flights as long as the community support is there," said Morrison. "We were unsure what would happen when we went from WWII to Korean War veterans, but there was little drop off in support. We will reassess in the future whether to open the flights further. Right now, we are hoping that the Vietnam veterans will come along as guardians. We do make exceptions for veterans that are terminally ill, regardless of the conflict in which they served. If one of these veterans presents themselves desiring to attend the flight, we will arrange to have a hospice nurse to be a guardian for them. Very few medical conditions would exclude a veteran from attending an Honor Flight."
"More than $2.3 million dollars was donated to the HFQC to make the flights possible," said Morrison. "Many individuals, organizations and volunteers make the HFQC possible. The board concentrates on the veterans and not on fund raising. This choice empowered the community to support what we are doing and it is working very well. The QC community deserves credit for supporting the Honor Flights."
Information about the Honor Flight is located at its national, http://honorflight.org and Quad-Cities hub websites, www.honorflightqc.com.
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