Last week, April 22, a group of 45 WWII veterans departed from Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport to Washington, D.C., on the twelfth Honor Flight from Upstate South Carolina. For the first time in Upstate SC, a group of 45 Korean War Veterans joined WWII veterans to be honored for their heroic actions in the Korean War. A total of 90 veterans were honored. Hundreds of Korean War applicants have now applied for Honor Flight as they begin to be honored alongside WWII veterans on all future flights. Both WWII and Korean War veterans who have not been on Honor Flight, are encouraged to visit www.honorflightupstate
sc.com to download an application. Veterans are offered flights on a first-come, first-served basis.
These WWII and Korean War veterans were accompanied by one hundred guardians, doctors, nurses, support staff, and media. They visited the World War II and Korean War Memorials in addition to viewing the changing of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknowns at Arlington National Cemetery and a tour of other military memorials. Hundreds of patriots welcomed them home at GSP North Cargo Center.
Honor Flight Upstate South Carolina is a non-profit, volunteer-based organization that is dedicated to honoring our WWII and Korean War veterans, and the many sacrifices they have made to keep our nation safe and our people free. There is no cost to the veteran to participate in this worthwhile program. It is extremely important to extend this opportunity in a timely manner to all interested veterans as they range in age from the 70’s to over 100 years old.
Many ordinary volunteers from the Upstate have already joined forces with numerous organizations and businesses to make these trips possible. In addition, the following elected officials are supporting the efforts to take every Upstate World War II and Koran War veteran on an Honor Flight: Senator Lindsey Graham, Senator Tim Scott, Rep. Trey Gowdy, Rep. Jeff Duncan, Greenville County Sheriff Steve Loftis, Anderson County Sheriff John Skipper, and Pickens County Sheriff Rick Clark. Multiple Upstate schools, JROTC Units, churches, veteran service organizations, and individuals have held fundraisers to make this flight possible. Major corporate sponsors include Verizon Wireless, Lockheed Martin, Bon Secours St. Francis Health System, General Electric, The Greenville Hospital System, Benchmark Consulting Inc, Bonitz Contracting Co Inc, Hucks Financial Services, and GrandSouth Bank.
Time has never been shorter for us to say thank you to our WWII and Korean War veterans. Donations go directly to costs associated with taking a veteran on this experience of a lifetime. For more information on how to get involved, make a donation or apply as a guardian or veteran, visit www.honorflightupstatesc.com or call 864-869-VETS.