If you want to see a charitable organization in action that truly makes a difference, then look no further than Villages Honor Flight.
The organization, which formed in 2012, is part of a national network with a simple but noble mission – transport America’s veterans at no cost to them to our nation’s capital to visit war memorials honoring those who served and those who made the ultimate sacrifice.
Villages Honor Flight serves Lake, Sumter, Marion, Citrus and Hernando counties. Our chapter ranks among the most respected of all the organizations across the country. And it boasts an amazing group of volunteers who are completely dedicated and work as a team to make sure area veterans get the opportunity to experience the trip of a lifetime.
A fine example of the dedication of the volunteers who make Honor Flight a reality was never more evident than when Flight 44 returned home on the night of April 17. Forty smiling veterans with an extra pep in their steps came off the bus to plenty of applause, salutes and loud cheers.
Their guardians – volunteers who pay their own way to provide assistance to the veterans throughout the trip – were still with them every step of the way. And Honor Flight volunteers who oversaw various parts of the trip were still busy at work, making sure the veterans had an incredible experience right up to the final seconds of the journey.
And then there was Debbie Diroff, who served as flight director. Those who know Diroff know three things about her. First, she is married to a veteran named Bill who means the world to her. Second, she is the human version of the Energizer Bunny – she once returned from a flight in the wee hours of the morning and then headed off a few hours later to compete in a half-marathon! And third, she is as committed to Honor Flight as one possibly can be.
Diroff was all smiles as she reminded everyone at the homecoming ceremony that her flight was on time – early to be exact. And she made it known that she started with 40 veterans and brought every single one of them back home safely.
But what you might not know about Diroff is this – of The Villages Honor Flight’s 44 missions to our nation’s capital, she’s been on 21 of them in a variety of different roles. She’s been everything from a guardian to a staff member to a three-time flight leader. And like everyone except the veterans who take the flight, she’s paid her own way each time.
After the latest flight was officially in the books, Diroff called the day together with the veterans both fun and emotional. And the Village of Charlotte resident said one moment stuck out in her mind when the group landed in Baltimore that morning.
“I saw a young child come up and shake a veteran’s hand,” she said. “I turned to my photographer and I said, ‘I’ve got to walk way.’ We were both crying.”
Diroff also was quick to praise her husband, a Navy veteran who went on an Honor Flight last year. She said she’d never be able to devote so much time to the organization she loves so dearly without his immense support. And she added that volunteering with Honor Flight is her way of giving back to those veterans who take the trips.
“These men and women gave hours, weeks, months, years of their lives,” she said. “I can give a few of mine to take them to Washington.”
Flight 44 also was quite special to Hoyt Allen, a highly decorated Army paratrooper who did two tours during the Korean War and three others in Vietnam. A wide-eyed Allen said the homecoming celebration at American Legion Post 347 – it included everything from performances by The Village Twirlers and Drum Corps, The Villages Cheerleaders, Ralph DiNome and Billie Thatcher to an adoring crowd to a Villages Public Safety fire engine offering a salute with a water cannon to an Honor Guard – was something quite different than he experienced 60 years ago.
“I came back from Korea and I had rocks and eggs and everything thrown at me,” he said. “Today, it brought all of it back in a great way. If we had had something like we had today with the soldiers returning, it would have been great.”
Allen, a resident of Elan Buena Vista Senior Living in The Villages, thanked his guardian, Patrick Mallory, of Summerfield. And then with a huge smile on his face, he added that the highlight of the trip took place when he got off the bus at the American Legion Post.
“It was returning to this beautiful lady right here, my wife,” he said, as Jane smiled and gave him a hug.
Another veteran who offered praise for his guardian was Navy veteran Mike Sedlak, who served in both World War II and Korea.
“I had a good guide and companion and he watched me like a hawk,” Sedlak said of Villager Bob Hammer, any Army veteran who lives in the Village of Buttonwood.
For his part, Hammer said he thoroughly enjoyed spending the day with Sedlak and watching many special moments unfold right in front of him.
“When you see total strangers in Washington walking up to these gentlemen and thanking them, kids giving them high fives and thanking them for their service, it’s very emotional,” said the snowbird from Ohio, whose wife, Diane, performed with The Villages Twirlers and Drum Corps before the veterans arrived home.
As we said earlier, there’s something very special about The Villages Honor Flight, the veterans who participate, the volunteers who make it happen and the crowd that shows up for the impressive welcome-home ceremony. The dedication to making sure that these veterans see the memorials that are dedicated to them is beyond amazing. And seeing it all come together is not only emotional but very special for everyone involved.
Three more missions to Washington, D.C. are planned this year – June 5; Sept. 18 and Oct. 30. And two flightless missions for those veterans who can’t make the trip are planned here in The Villages on June 29 and Nov. 23. Visit villageshonorflight.org for more information.
So, if you truly want to see the magic happen, we’d encourage you to attend a homecoming ceremony. We’ve had the pleasure of being there many times when the veterans return home and each time, we’re amazed by the stories we hear and the heroes we get to meet and talk with.
We hope you’ll all consider coming out this year and showing your support to these men and women who gave so much of their lives to protect the freedoms we all love but often take for granted. Every one of them is special and they truly stand for what America is all about.
