Villages Honor Flight’s fourth and final flight for 2019 will depart Wednesday Oct. 30, taking 41 area veterans to Washington, D.C.
Most of the veterans served during Korea and Vietnam. Three served during World War II and many others served during the 1940s, 1950s, the Berlin Crisis and the Cold War.
All told, 20 served in the Army, 13 in the Navy, six in the Air Force and two in the Marine Corps. They are from Altoona, Astor, Clermont, Fruitland Park, Jacksonville, Leesburg, Mount Dora, Ocala, Oxford, Summerfield and The Villages.
While in Washington, the veterans will visit Arlington National Cemetery and various war and service memorials dedicated in their honor. Villages Honor Flight serves Central Florida veterans from Citrus, Lake, Marion, Putnam and Sumter Counties. Each veteran has a volunteer guardian to assist him/her. The trip is free for veterans, while guardians and staff pay their own way. The organization has flown more than 1,400 veterans since its first flight in May 2012.
The flight begins with an early morning send-off at American Legion Post 347, located near the corner of County Road 466 and Rolling Acres Road. The day-long trip concludes with a Welcome Home celebration at the post, with the public invited to participate and bring lawn chairs and an American flag.
Entertainment for the crowd begins at 10 p.m. featuring Dawn DiNome and the Flashback Band, The Villages Cheerleaders and The Villages Twirlers and Drum Corps. The veterans are expected to arrive about midnight, depending on arrival time at Orlando International Airport.
Villages Honor Flight will conduct a flightless mission on Nov. 23 for veterans who cannot manage the airline flight to our nation’s capital. For more information, veteran and volunteer applications, go to www.villageshonorflight.org.
