Honor Flight takes local veterans to D.C.
CRANBERRY TWP — A group of veterans from around the region got a trip of a lifetime from a local organization that strives to recognize the sacrifices they made many years ago.
Honor Flight Pittsburgh took 26 veterans to Washington, D.C., on Oct. 14 to visit various war memorials, individual military branch memorials, and monuments in the nation's capital.
The whole day was free for the veterans, six from World War II, five from the Korean War, one from the Korean and Vietnam wars, and 14 from the Vietnam War.
“I never had my hand shook so much in my life,” said James Keefer of West Sunbury, who served in the Navy during the Korean War from 1950 to 1954. “Complete strangers just came up and said, 'Thank you for your service. We appreciate it.' It was more than I ever expected.”
The group of veterans and volunteers departed early in the morning from the UPMC Lemieux Sports Center in Cranberry Township. Volunteers who are called guardians were assigned to each veteran and guided them through the capital and helped them with whatever they needed throughout the day, Keefer said.
For Jim O'Leary of Portersville, it was the first time he had been to Washington, D.C., to see the memorials and monuments. O'Leary, who served in the Navy during the end of World War II, said he was “totally impressed” with the entire trip.
Honor Flight Pittsburgh, a hub of the national nonprofit Honor Flight, takes veterans to the capital twice a year, in the spring and fall, to honor their service to the country. All costs are covered, and their trip includes free lunch and dinner.
A full story appears in the Sunday Butler Eagle.
