Flight of Honor: Local organization prepares for maiden voyage flying veterans from Lexington to D.C.'s National Mall

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With an average age today nearing 93, the pool of able-bodied World War II veterans is shrinking by the day. It’s a fact that makes the task of Honor Flight – a non-profit that honors America’s veterans by flying them to Washington, D.C., to visit memorials built in their honor – that much more difficult and at the same time, that much more rewarding.

“It’s both an honor and a privilege to, in a small way, honor the men and women of our armed forces who served so bravely in the name of freedom for all,” said Dan Koett, a volunteer for the Honor Flight Bluegrass, the central Kentucky chapter of the national organization, which will fly 72 Kentucky veterans and accompanying guardians out of Lexington’s Blue Grass Airport to visit Washington, D.C.’s National Mall and Memorial Park on Sept. 26.

The first flight of this kind that both begins and ends in Lexington, the passengers will include a World War II vet who played basketball for Adolph Rupp, a female World War II vet whose name is on the Women’s Memorial in Arlington Cemetery and several Vietnam vets who are going along as “guardians” for the older vets. Priority seating is generally given to senior World War II veterans and veterans from any war or conflict who have been diagnosed with a terminal illness, with subsequent priorities given to Korean and Vietnam War veterans.

Airfare and expenses for the flights are sponsored by donors, usually corporate or private individuals. For the September flight out of Blue Grass Airport, Kentucky’s Touchstone Energy Cooperatives have sponsored 18 veteran seats and 19 guardian seats, with the remaining seats being sponsored by an anonymous individual donor. Kentucky’s Touchstone Energy Cooperatives, which operate 16 rural electric co-ops providing power to homes and businesses across Kentucky, have sponsored several Bluegrass Honor Flight seats on previous missions out of Louisville Regional Airport as well.

WTVQ-TV ABC 36 news anchor Doug High, who currently serves as co-chair of the organization, said he has always been in awe of the accomplishments, duty and sacrifice of war veterans. High shares a special connection to the flight as a veteran himself – a lieutenant commander/public affairs officer in the U.S. Navy Reserve. High signed up for a direct commission with no prior service after the events of Sept. 11, 2001, and he has been off the air since late June, having been called up for 76 days of active duty to serve as the interim public affairs officer of the U.S. Naval War College in Newport, Rhode Island.

He’ll return to host his show “Good Morning Kentucky” on Sept. 7, just in time to participate in the Honor Flight at the end of the month.

“I just can’t believe I’m going to be a part of this,” he said. “What a privilege I’ve been given to help escort these living legends to Washington, D.C., share their stories with our audience and celebrate their contributions.”

Lexington resident Diane Cape’s father was on board a recent Honor Flight out of Kentucky, a mission to Washington, D.C., that flew out of Louisville in 2012.

“It was a special and memorable experience for my father,” said Cape. Her father, John Robbins, a veteran of World War II’s Battle of Iwo Jima, is now 90 years old.

One of the most vivid war memories for Robbins, who was stationed on a Navy landing craft during the battle, was hearing hundreds of American ships in the harbor sounding their horns when they saw the Marines raising the American flag on Mount Suribachi to signal the capture of that mountain during the Battle of Iwo Jima.

“Everyone cheered,” he said. “It was like the Fourth of July.”

The Iwo Jima monument, which stands at the entrance to Arlington National Cemetery, is the U.S. Marine Corps War Memorial sculpted by Felix de Weldon from the iconic “raising of the flag” photo taken by Associated Press photographer Joe Rosenthal during that moment of the battle that Robbins recalls so vividly. Rosenthal was aboard Robbins’ ship days prior to taking his photo.

In another special Kentucky connection to the memorial, Franklin R. Sousley, born in Fleming County and raised on a tobacco farm, was one of the six flag raisers atop Mount Suribachi memorialized in Robbins’ photo, which is one of the most reproduced photographs of all time. Sousley was killed in combat on March 21, 1945, less than a month after the raising of the flag.

Robbins was touched by how gracious everyone was on the 2012 Honor Flight that he took out of Louisville.

“We were treated like royalty, with motorcades to and from the monuments,” he said. In a particularly touching moment during the return flight, volunteers and flight staff held a “mail call,” passing out letters written by school children to the veterans thanking them for their service and sacrifices.

“I didn’t know that many people cared about vets,” Robbins said.

The September Honor Flight out of Lexington currently has a waiting list, but if you know a Veteran of World War II, Korea or Vietnam interested in participating in future Bluegrass Honor Flights, contact them and complete the application located on their website: www.honorflightbluegrass.org.

Anyone interested in volunteering or becoming involved with the chapter may complete an application located on the website as well. ss

Honor Flight Bluegrass Homecoming

Sept. 26 • Blue Grass Airport

The Honor Flight will return to the Bluegrass at approximately 9:15 p.m.; anyone interested in expressing their gratitude and welcoming the vets home is invited to greet them at the homecoming.

Honor Flights Bluegrass is also accepting letters to the vets for the “mail call” that will occur on the return flight. To contribute, write a note of thanks, encouragement or reflection and stick it in a sealed envelope addressed to “Veteran,” “Hero,” “Patriot,” etc. Drop that envelope into a mailing envelope, and either hand deliver to any Lexington branch of the YMCA addressed to “Dann Koett/Honor Flight,” or mail it to:

YMCA of Central Kentucky

Attn. Dan Koett/Honor Flight

239 East High Street

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