Villages Honor Flight’s fourth flight for 2017 will depart Sept. 6 taking 40 area veterans to Washington , DC . While in Washington , the veterans will visit Arlington National Cemetery and various war and service memorials. Since the first flight in May 2012, Villages Honor Flight has flown 925 veterans to Washington , D.C.
This flight, the organization’s 35th, includes one WWII veteran, 28 Korean War veterans, eight Korea-era and three Vietnam veterans. (15 Army, 14 Navy, four Marines, and seven Air Force) They live in The Villages, Belleview, Brooksville, Fruitland Park , Lady Lake , Leesburg, Melrose , Mount Dora , Ocala , Silver Springs, Summerfield, and Wildwood. Villages Honor Flight serves veterans from the Central Florida counties of Lake, Sumter , Marion , Citrus and Hernando. Each veteran has a volunteer guardian to assist him/her during the trip.
The flight begins with an early morning send-off at the Lady Lake American Legion Post on Rolling Acres Road. The day-long trip concludes with a Welcome Home celebration at the American Legion Post between 11:30 p.m. and 12:30 a.m., depending on arrival time at Orlando International Airport . The public is invited to participate in the Welcome Home celebration and is encouraged to bring a lawn chair and an American Flag. Entertainment for the crowd begins at 10 p.m. including the Village Cheerleaders, Village Twirlers, Clown Alley 179, and Ralph DiNome and his Flashback band.
John E. Peters, The Villages, Fla.
