Springfield Honor Flight

The Honor Flight Network program was the idea of Earl Morse, a physician assistant and Retired Air Force Captain. He wanted the veterans he had taken care of for the past 27 years to be recognized for their hard work. After retiring from the Air Force in 1998, Earl was hired by the Department of Veterans Affairs to work in a small clinic in Springfield, Ohio. In May of 2004, the World War II Memorial was finally completed and dedicated in Washington, D.C. and quickly became the topic of discussion among his World War II veteran patients.

Earl asked these veterans, repeatedly, if they would ever travel out to visit THEIR memorial. Most felt that eventually they would make it to D.C., perhaps with a family member or friend. They didn't quite know how they would do it, but they wanted to. 

As time went on, these same veterans returned to the clinic for their follow-up visits. Earl asked if they accomplished their dream of visiting the World War II Memorial. At this point, for most of the veterans he asked, reality had settled in; it was clear to most that it simply wasn't financially or physically possible for them to make the journey. Most of these senior heroes were in their 80s, many lacked the physical and mental abilities to complete a trip on their own. Families and friends also lacked the resources and time to complete the three- to four-day trip to the nation’s capital.

January of 2005, Earl addressed about 150 members of the aero club during a safety meeting, outlining a volunteer program to fly veterans to their memorial. There were two major stipulations to his request. The first was that the veterans pay nothing. The entire aircraft rental ($600 to $1200 for the day) would have to be paid solely by the pilots. The second was that the pilots personally escort the veterans around D.C. for the entire day. After Earl spoke, eleven pilots who had never met his patients stepped up to volunteer and the Honor Flight was born.

In the future, Honor Flight Network will also pay tribute to America's other heroes who served during the Korean and Vietnam Wars, followed by veterans of more current wars. They, too, have given so much and it's time we show them that their efforts are not forgotten. Honor Flight Network has learned a lot over these last years and one point that stands out is that our veteran heroes aren't asking for recognition. It is our position that they deserve it. Our program is just a small token of our appreciation for those that gave so much.

Please help us continue to make their dream of visiting THEIR memorial, a reality.
HONOR FLIGHT NETWORK — our way of saying to all our veterans — one more TOUR with HONOR.

Learn how to help the Honor Flight Network.
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