By Robb Murray
Free Press Staff Writer
MANKATO —
There’s a bit of darkness to the work of Honor Flight.
The group has flown 40,000 veterans so far to Washington, D.C., to visit the World War II memorial so far, all free of charge.
And they’re hurrying to get as many more on board for similar trips.
Why?
The further time creeps away from the Word War II era, the fewer veterans there are. Honor Flight hopes to work quickly to give the veterans who remain the chance to visit one of the capital’s most popular memorials.
“That’s our primary objective,” said Pete Mathias, director of Honor Flight’s southeastern Minnesota hub. “Keep in mind most of these vets haven’t been to D.C., so this is their first chance to see the things they’ve heard about their whole lives.”
The backbone of the Honor Flight program is local fundraising. Chartered jets are used to fly more than 100 vets per trip to D.C. The cost to transport and feed them is roughly $500 per vet.
Accompanying the vets are about 70 guardians — caretakers, doctors, etc., who are there to help the veterans in any way necessary. No spouses are allowed.
Mathias said they worked with area businesses in Rochester, where they’ve worked with and flown hundreds of vets to D.C. Panera Bread, for example, once raised $20,000 for the cause. Other businesses have helped, too.
“There is no government sponsorship,” Mathias said. “It’s all pancake breakfasts and spaghetti suppers. And guardians pay their own way.”
For the vets, a lot is packed into their one-day trip.
They arrive to the airport early, around 5 a.m. Once they get to D.C., they go straight to the World War II memorial and spend a couple of hours there. After that they eat lunch and tour the city’s many monuments and memorials. Eventually it’s back to the airport and back home, where they come home to a celebration.
The main event, however, is the World War II memorial.
“It’s very emotional. They usually receive a hero’s welcome,” said Mathias. “People visiting love to come up and shake their hands, have pictures taken with them. It’s tremendous. We’ve had some vets tell us it’s the greatest day of their lives.”
Honor Flight has 80 hubs across the country. The Rochester Hub had a service radius of 65 miles, and they focused largely on vets within that area, until now. They’re expanding into Mankato and other areas in south-central Minnesota.
Mathias said he’s hopeful enough veterans will sign up to make a spring trip, and possibly more.
The urgency of getting flights planned for vets who want to go is apparent.
“Many of the vets are too frail to go, or passed away,” he said. “We’ve had three people who have died between the time they applied for the trip and get the call that they’re going.”
