Villages Honor Flight’s first flight for 2018 will depart Wednesday, April 4 taking 42 area veterans to Washington D.C.
Of the 42 veterans,10 are World War II veterans, 27 Korean War, four Korea and Vietnam, and one Vietnam veteran. Seventeen served in the Army, 15 in the Navy, three in the Air Force, six in the Marine Corps and one in the Coast Guard. They come from Bronson, Gainesville, Groveland, Hernando, Lady Lake, Lecanto, Leesburg, Mount Dora, Ocala, Starke, Summerfield, The Villages and Wildwood.
The organization has flown more than 1,000 veterans since our first flight in May 2012. While in Washington, the veterans will visit Arlington National Cemetery and various war and service memorials. Villages Honor Flight serves veterans from the Central Florida counties of Citrus, Hernando, Lake, Marion, and Sumter. Each veteran has a volunteer guardian to assist him/her. The trip is free for veterans. Guardians and staff pay their own way.
The flight begins with an early morning send-off at the Lady Lake American Legion Post on Rolling Acres Road. The day-long trip concludes with a Welcome Home celebration at the American Legion Post at 12:15 a.m. Thursday, depending on arrival time at Orlando International Airport. The public is invited to participate in the Welcome Home celebration and is encouraged to bring a lawn chair and an American Flag. Entertainment for the crowd begins at 10 p.m. including the Village Cheerleaders, Village Twirlers, Clown Alley #179, and Ralph DiNome and his Flashback band.
For further information, veteran and volunteer applications, go to www.villageshonorflight.org.
