“An Honor Flight” for WWII Veterans

Written by Gilbert Scales

Apr 16, 2008 at 12:00 AM

Mrs. Betty Waldrop talks to members of American Legion Post 3 about her plans to send World War II veterans to Washington, D.C. to visit the WWII Memorial. Mrs. Betty Waldrop and her husband Dennis, who is the Mayor of Simpsonville, were watching the CBS Sunday Morning News broadcast last September. The segment that was most interesting to them was about the “Honor Flight” that was arranged for the World War II veterans from Hendersonville, NC, to travel by air to visit the World War II Memorial in Washington, D.C. She and her husband are trying to raise the funds needed to fly 100 WWII veterans from Green-ville County to Washington, D.C., to visit the WWII and Iwo Jima Memorials, and possibly a visit to Arlington National Cemetery. The flight is scheduled for Wed., May 7. The Veterans will board a jetliner around 9 a.m. and return to Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport around 8 p.m. She is trying to raise the necessary funds so that no veteran will be asked to pay for any part of the trip. Charter buses will take the vets from the D.C. airport to the memorial sites. Food will be donated, a motorized scooter store in Washington is providing the scooters, another company is donating portable oxygen equipment. Thirty to forty guardians will be needed to assist the veterans during their visit, such as pushing wheelchairs, or just walking beside the ones who will be using a walker or just holding one’s hand as they tour the memorials. The cost for a guardian is $300 which is also the cost of each veteran’s trip. The average age of a WWII veteran is between 80 and 100 years old. Medical personnel will be with the group in case of any emergency. Mrs. Waldrop has organized a small committee to help with this important mission. But, she still needs to raise more funds to make this memorial trip possible. The cost for the “Honor Flight” is between $45,000 to $50,000. Donations of any amount can be sent to “Honor Flight” Simponsville, Att. Betty Waldrop, P.O. Box 838, Simpsonville, SC 29681. If you know a WWII veteran, or are interested in volunteering for the trip, call 963-5774, or send an email to