New group will take Central Ga. veterans to see D.C. memorials

Bobby King, a 93-year-old World War II veteran, rarely talks about his time serving in the Coast Guard.

"It's the hardest thing to forget, because it wasn't just a group of bodies laid out real nice and neat," he said. "It was pretty bad."

Fellow World War II veteran Les Goggans agrees.

He served as a Marine and even went back to combat during the Korean War, but he says just because many veterans don't want to talk about what they experienced, doesn't mean it should be forgotten.

"I don't think the generation today understands exactly what we did and how we did it," said Goggans. "We don't fight a war the way we fought one."

Both veterans have no problem talking about the brave men and women they served with, especially those who did not make it home.

"They are the real heroes," said King. "We've got to remember. I know there's been wars since then, but we just had an awful lot of brave people and we can't forget them."

The service and sacrifices of all these veterans are celebrated through memorials around our nation’s capital, but many of the people they were built to honor have never had the chance to see them.

Bob Long is on the Board of Directors for the new Middle Georgia Honor Flight and he hopes his group can help change that.

"We would like to extend the opportunity to them to see the applicable memorials, so they can see the names of their fallen comrades, bring back the good memories, as well as highlight the significance of what they contributed to our country,” said Long.

Long says the non-profit relies on volunteers and donations to give veterans a free trip to Washington D.C.

He says it costs around $500 to send each veteran.

Contour Airlines, which operates out of the Middle Georgia Regional Airport in Macon, has already negotiated a contract with the group to make the flights more affordable.

During the day-long trip, the veterans will get a chance to see the memorials, explore the capitol, and share their stories.

Long says the best part of the day, though, will be landing back at the airport where the group hopes to have more than 100 volunteers lining the runway and terminal to give the veterans the warm welcome home that many of them never got.

"We have a lot of veterans out there who have not been thanked for their service, and this is the best way that I could see that we could do about that," said Long.

He says their biggest hurdle right now is getting enough donations and volunteers to make the trip as special as possible.

Long says they need sponsors and guardians to accompany each veteran as well as people to help coordinate efforts at home.

Right now, veterans from World War II, Korean War, and Vietnam War can sign up for the first flight on September 8.

Long says they hope two have two flights each fall and another two in spring.

They haven't even stepped on the plane yet, but King and Goggans say they're already so grateful for the efforts of the Middle Georgia Honor Flight.

"I'm just very proud to be honored like this," said King.

If you know someone who would be interested in an honor flight or volunteering on one, more information is below:

Honor Flight Briefing by 13WMAZ on Scribd