Alexander Rogers
Honor Flight Columbus adheres to one simple motto: honor, share, celebrate.
Guided by that motto, the nonprofit organization carries out its mission to honor America’s senior veterans by taking them on trips to Washington, D.C. to visit the nation’s memorials, by helping them share their stories, and by celebrating and affirming their service and homecoming.
Through the organization, veterans are given an incredibly meaningful opportunity – not just to visit the memorials which honor them – but also to reflect on their service, connect with other veterans, remember their fallen comrades and, most importantly, receive recognition and gratitude for their service.
One last mission
Alexander Rogers
Since its founding in 2006, Honor Flight Columbus has completed 140 missions and honored more than 10,170 veterans.
“It’s just so important to, one, remember them and, two, to honor them and let them know that we care,” Terri Swank, an Honor Flight Guardian and Ohio Army National Guard veteran, says. “What they did mattered.”
As a Guardian, Swank plays an important role in facilitating the Honor Flight process by guiding veterans throughout their trip – helping them navigate the tour, and acting as their informational guide and personal photographer. Above all, Guardians play a key role in emotionally supporting the veterans throughout their day’s journey.
For many, visiting memorials, reliving their stories and being recognized for their service can be an emotional experience. The Honor Flight experience can be especially powerful and gratifying for veterans of the Vietnam War, some of whom never received a proper welcome home.
Alexander Rogers
According to Swank, being there for the veterans during this experience also serves as a connector to the bigger picture and a reminder that we are all a part of something larger than ourselves.
“On that trip, it’s the beginning of a lifelong relationship with those veterans,” Swank says. “(And) the majority of those veterans who have been on an Honor Flight will tell you that this is one of the top five days of their life, or their best day ever.”
A part of something bigger
Alexander Rogers
Honor Flight Columbus doesn’t do this alone. It is part of a larger organization – Honor Flight Network – and as a nonprofit, the organization not only works for a great cause, but also stems from a unique story.
Honor Flight was founded in 2005 in Ohio by Earl Morse, a retired Air Force captain and physician.
Several of his patients were senior veterans who confided in him that they were not sure they’d ever make it to see their memorials. As a private pilot, Morse took it upon himself to ensure those veterans made it to Washington, D.C. and began offering them personal trips. Each time, he was met with tears of gratitude.
Soon after, Morse asked for help from his fellow Dayton Pilots’ Club members in order to start transporting more veterans. He stipulated that the trips must be free of cost for the veterans and that the pilots must act as their tour guides throughout the day. Eleven pilots immediately volunteered, and Honor Flight was born.
Within a year, the program’s reach grew so large that it began using commercial airplanes. In 2006, Jeff Miller of North Carolina, a son and nephew of World War II veterans, was inspired by Honor Flight and founded his own version, HonorAir. Then, a year later, Morse and Miller combined their organizations to form Honor Flight Network.
Today, the Network consists of 130 chapters in 45 states. The network has impacted 317,128 veterans and counting and has 46,380 currently on its waitlist.
The organization has also expanded its reach to include veterans who served in the Korean and Vietnam Wars, as well as veterans of any service era who are critically ill.
It’s your turn
As a Guardian, veteran and someone who has seen the impact of the program firsthand, Swank highly encourages any eligible veterans to apply to participate in an Honor Flight.
“It’s (your) turn, we want to honor you, we want to help you share your stories and we want to celebrate you with an amazing homecoming that you will not forget,” Swank says. “Every (veteran) is important.”
Without the Honor Flight program, Swank says many veterans would not have the opportunity or necessary resources to take such a trip on their own.
Outside of sharing the news about what the organization does, there are plenty of ways to get involved with Honor Flight Columbus. Some of the ways to get involved include becoming a Guardian, assisting with fundraisers and wheelchair donations, helping servicewomen receive recognition, participating in the Hero Salute program for veterans who are unable to travel, and volunteering for any of the organization’s several teams among other things. You can even contribute to the program simply by shopping at Kroger, whose rewards program donates to the organization.
Whether a veteran or volunteer, Swank believes it to be an incredible and rewarding experience.
“I still find veterans who are eligible that don’t know what Honor Flight is,” Swank says. “So, awareness (is important).”
Ella Jay is an assistant editor at CityScene Media Group. Feedback welcome at ejay@cityscenemediagroup.com.
