Taking Care of 100 Heroes

August 15, 1945, VJ Day, effectively marked the end of World War II. If an 18 year old had joined the military in 1945, he/she would now be 82 years old. That's the youngest (legal) WWII Veteran as of today. I say legal because over 200,000 of our heroes actually signed up for service earlier than their 18th birthday.

The West Georgia Honor Flight will be taking 100 of these 82+ olds to Washington, D.C. safely and comfortably thanks to policies set forth by The Honor Flight Network which place veteran safety and comfort above all considerations. The HFN policies clearly state that program safety is our single overriding priority. Nothing takes greater precendence than the safe transport to Washington, D.C. and return of all our veterans to their families.

Our Honor Flight Guardians are the key to a safe and successful trip. A guardian will accompany each veteran that requires a wheel chair or walker for safe movement. For those veterans that normally do not need a wheel chair or walker, a guardian will accompany every 3 veterans. In addition, there will be volunteer staff that are also able to help out as the day goes on. We will also have extra wheel chairs for those veterans that need one during the day.

The West Georgia Honor Flight will also have medical staff accompany us on the trip. Guardians who apply that have nursing, EMT or other medical training will be given priority spots on the trip. Our goal is to have 2 medical personnel on each charter bus in Washington - a total of 6.

We will be utilizing a charter jet for our trip. While this is more expensive than purchasing group airline tickets and traveling to or through Atlanta, a charter jet gives us much more comfort and flexibility. Our charter will allow us to fly direct to/from Washington D.C., and will depart and arrive at the Columbus Metropolitan Airport. With a charter we will be able to control our own check-in lines and ensure that everyone is taken care of.

Once in Washington, we will have 3 charter buses at our disposal. Thanks to a national agreement with the Honor Flight Network, we will be using a charter bus service that has taken care of many honor flights and knows the routine well. The Honor Flight Network is very aware of trip/fall dangers at the WWII Memorial and we will make the veterans and guardians aware of these as well. Safety of our veterans is paramount.

As of last year, over 11,000 WWII Veterans safely took part in their Honor Flight. This year that number will total over 25,000. We look forward to helping you or your loved one take theirs.