Ready to Fly

Published 11:07 pm Thursday, May 17, 2007

VALDOSTA — As donations for Honor Flight South Georgia passed the $100,000 mark Wednesday evening, organizers were preparing last-minute details for Saturday morning’s first scheduled flight of regional World War II veterans to see the Washington, D.C., monument built in their honor.

More than 100 area World War II veterans and dozens of volunteer Guardians will meet early Saturday morning at the Valdosta Regional Airport for a flight to Washington, D.C., where they will visit the World War II Memorial, as well as the memorials to Vietnam and Korean war veterans, and Arlington National Cemetery. The plane is expected to return at 9 p.m. Saturday, the same day, to Valdosta.

Yet there is plenty planned for the World War II veterans before their charter plane takes off at approximately 9 a.m. Saturday.

Veterans are scheduled to arrive at the airport at 6:45 a.m. Saturday. They will be screened before starting to board the plane at approximately 8 a.m.

The public is invited to see these area World War II veterans off. Local ROTC students are expected as well as the Knights of Columbus color guards. Bagpipe music is scheduled. South Georgia Classic Car Club is expected to line the road to the airport with World War II-era vehicles.

Joining the local veterans and Guardians will be Earl Morse and Jeff Miller with the national Honor Flight program. South Georgia veterans are one of several expected Honor Flight groups visiting the World War II Memorial Saturday. Honor Flights from Utah, Pennsylvania and Michigan are also expected.

Given that South Georgia’s World War II veterans are in their 70s to 90s, Sen. Saxby Chambliss arranged for the Honor Flight buses to enter Arlington so the veterans will not have to walk as far.

As for the plane, the Federal Aviation Administration is expected to designate Honor Flight South Georgia’s plane as Honor Flight One, or HF-1, which would give the flight privileged access for landing and take-off at Washington’s Dulles International Airport.

Honor Flight South Georgia has been a whirlwind of activities, fund-raising and preparation during the past several weeks.

Bert Powell and “Buddy” Johnson of the South Georgia chapter of the Military Officers Association of America announced the local Honor Flight drive in early March, and The Valdosta Daily Times, which is a sponsor of Honor Flight, announced the effort in the March 7 editions. American Legion Post 13 signed on as the organization to account for donations.

Within two and a half months, through numerous programs and meetings, Honor Flight has raised $100,000 and is ready for its first flight. The program is at the threshold of having enough money for the second regional Honor Flight, tentatively scheduled for late summer.

Organizers plan to raise money and plan flights until every area World War II veteran who wants to see the memorial has had the opportunity.

WORLD WAR II VETERANS: James Hinton Reeves, Lewis G. Russell, William F. Hoopes, Marion C. Nelson, James W. Wood, John T. Weisenburger, Lavan Ray Robinson, John R. Dixon, Emory L. Warrick Sr., Foster Zipperer, Ben Frampton, Levaniel B. Thompson, Albert Young, Ollie J. Hill, Lannis Bernard Hall, Vernon F. Holloman, Johnnie M. Shiver, Maurice S. Hale, James W. DeVane, James E. Nunn, Jesse Brewer, Wendell B. Johnson, John Campbell, Malcolm C. Herring, Clarence Eugene Smith, Henry W. DeLoach, Ethan A. Barnard, Winford R. Boatright, Wallace A. Lewis, Lloyd L. Burns, H. Bernard Bechtel, John T. Courson, Louis A. Kent, William Durand Carson, Hilburn A. Carter, Ellis Connell, Wilson F. Connell, Louis T. Coody, Joseph R. Corbin, Ruel G. Crumbley, W.E. Cunningham, Desso F. Faulkner, John G. Avery, Edwin D. Gaskins, K.V. Gibson, Norman A. Griffis, Luther J. Griner, Franklin Harrell, Troy W. Harsey, James E. Herring, William C. Hylton, Lucian M. Johnson, Sam D. Latham, Hugh H. McElvey Jr., Carlton H. Moore, Ivey W. Plair Sr., Charles C. Pollard, James H. Poole, James H. Rackley, Melvin Rainbow, Reva L. Rice, Ormond E. Rolfe, Andrew Peter Rumker, Charles L. Stewart, Marion L. Taylor, Emory M. Taylor, Curtis E. Tomlinson, Hubert T. Warmack, Rowe D. Bowen, John E. Bonds, James E. Young, Doris Vopp Smith, Albert Raymond Mitchell, Clifford Williams, Ralph S. Noles, Robert Futch, Samuel George, John H. Eades, Jack Beverstein, William Cullen, L.C. Butts, Bealie Harrison, James Beck, G. Robert Carter, Earl Wetherington, Winston Cooper, Frank Christian, Julian Tudor, Robert Logan, William G. Castleberry, Otis G. Ricketts, Raiford Flanders, John Bollman, Arthur Brown, Elbert Hickman, Hoyt Coppage, Silas Brimmage, Logan Thackrey, Philip Russell, Aubrey Saunders, William V. Purdy, Harold Sheppard, Dorothy A. Crawford, Gerald Hallman, Edwin Brown, Robert Hall, L.C. Hughes, James L. Poole, Donald S. Bryan, Frank Golden.



GUARDIANS: Joan Walton Lawson, Julie Anne Killion, Gloria Ward Hoskins, Gary Charles Hoskins, Rhonda Pittman Taylor, Margaret Ann Hale, Larry W. Hale, O. Denise Tebedo, Louise S. Herring, Deborah Lyn Barnard, Mitchell Scott Burns, Gladstone J. Prater Jr., Ernie Florig, James Bennett, James Whitford Chappell Jr., John Daniel, Richard Kelley, Hildegard Martin, Georgia Pollard, Richard Rigby, Scott Matheson, Rolland Wallis, Susan Bentley, Gwen Conner, Elaine Keener, Gladys Coody, Lewis Cunningham, Ronald Allen Jr., Charles Boatright, Pat Davis, Susan Davis, Paige Dukes, James E. Harrison, Sarah Howard, Jean Johnson, Jean Logan, John McGowan, J. Britt McLane, Susan Raffaele, Don Townsend, Glen Walden, Dorothy Walden, Patricia Poole Wynn.





HONOR FLIGHT

_ Public is invited to see off regional World War II veterans from 7-9 a.m. Saturday, at Valdosta Regional Airport. Plane boarding scheduled to start 8 a.m. Take-off 9 a.m. The plane is scheduled to return 9 p.m. Saturday.

_ DONATIONS: Tax deductible donations may be sent to: American Legion Post 13, P.O. Box 1005, Valdosta, Ga. 31603.

_ TO REGISTER A WORLD WAR II VETERAN, to become a Guardian volunteer, or to schedule a presentation for your organization, please call (229) 219-7281; or (229) 219-7213.



• Honor Flight South Georgia Itinerary Saturday



6:30 a.m.: Guardians arrive at Valdosta Regional Airport for check-in.

6:45 a.m.: Veterans arrive at Valdosta Regional Airport for check-in.

7 a.m.: Veterans begin security processing.

8 a.m.: Aircraft boarding begins.

9 a.m.: Departure for non-stop flight to Dulles

International Airport. A hot meal will be served on-board.

11 a.m.: Arrival at gate, disembark aircraft and board three motor coaches for drive to mall and World War II Memorial.

Noon: A box lunch with water will be provided while

touring the World War II Memorial.

2:30 p.m.: Depart World War II Memorial for a tour of

other sites within the mall area, such as the Vietnam

Veterans Memorial, Korean War Memorial, Arlington

National Cemetery.

4:30 p.m.: Departure for return to Dulles International

Airport.

5:15 p.m.: Check-in, security processing and boarding chartered aircraft.

7 p.m.: Departure for non-stop flight to Valdosta Regional Airport. A hot meal will be served on board.

9 p.m.: Estimated time passengers will be arriving for

automobile pickup at Valdosta Regional Airport.