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thedrifter
09-29-08, 08:15 AM
Veterans invited to tour monuments in D.C.

By Naomi King
Staff Writer

Published: Sunday, September 28, 2008 at 9:00 a.m.
Last Modified: Sunday, September 28, 2008 at 12:38 a.m.

HOUMA — Clyde Redmond of Thibodaux said he’ll never forget the camaraderie and appreciation he felt during a trip this spring to the nation’s capital with fellow World War II veterans.

“They rented this airplane, nothing but us on there,” Redmond said and laughed. “There were these people there to welcome us. Where they got all those people from, I don’t know.”

Redmond, 82, and dozens of veterans visited monuments and flew back to Lafayette the same day, all part of a series of one-day trips to Washington, D.C., organized by a group called Honor Air.

Most of the veterans, including Redmond, had never seen the National World War II Memorial. And the trip was a chance for him and other veterans to do so together, Redmond said.

Honor Air originated when a few Midwestern and East Coast businessmen began taking small groups of veterans to Washington. The Louisiana arm of the group has quickly grown into one of the top three in terms of the number of flights.

Honor Air raises money to charter flights for veterans, who pay nothing the entire trip.

This year’s flights are still open to any World War II veterans and those from Terrebonne, Lafourche and surrounding areas are especially encouraged to join.

This fall, four chartered flights will be flown out of Baton Rouge on Oct. 4, Oct. 18 Oct. 25 and Nov. 1.

Four more flights are being planned for the spring out of Shreveport. If that happens, the Louisiana Honor Air group will reach 17 flights since it began in May 2007, said Henry Mouton, a Lafayette businessman who’s been helping recruit veterans.

The Louisiana group was started by T.D. Smith, a Lafayette radio DJ, after seeing a Sunday-morning television story about Honor Air.

The initial intention was to book only one flight, but it quickly grew to nine flights as the word spread.

“I watched it and went, ‘Damn that’s a good idea,’ ” Smith said. “I’ve always been a history buff. I just felt after the explanation that they didn’t get around to building (the World War II memorial) until 2004, I thought the idea of the Honor Air flights was an opportunity to take in the monument.”

On every flight, there are two paramedics, two doctors, dozens of wheel chairs, water and one guardian, or volunteer escort, for every three veterans, he said.

The motto of Honor Air is “For a debt that can never be repaid,” Mouton said.

In coordination with US Airways, firefighters, bands and Marines salute and pay tribute to the veterans as they land and visit the memorials in Washington.

At the World War II monument, the veterans meet fellow veteran and presidential candidate Bob Dole. At the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, which represents the war grave of fallen, unidentified soldiers, they participate in a changing of the guard ceremony.

Not all veterans get to see their war’s memorial, said Jeff Miller, 53, one of the founders of Honor Air.

“We owe a debt to these guys,” Miller said. “Everything good I have in my life is because of the service of this generation. This is truly the greatest generation.”

Honor Air is nonpartisan, said Miller, who’s from North Carolina. There’s no red or blue, liberal or conservative states involved, he said.

Miller said he started the flights after his mother and World War II veteran father died.

“I found out afterward that they were charter members of the World War II memorial and had given money to build the monument,” Miller said, adding that they never got to see it. “From then, I decided I wanted to take veterans from Hendersonville (N.C.) up to see the monuments.”

Later, Miller found out another businessman in Ohio, Earl Morse, was flying two veterans at a time on private planes to the capital. The two started the Honor Flight Network, Miller said.

“We did six trips in about a year, flying 650 veterans,” Miller said. “That’s when T.D. (Smith) and other people started calling me. Next thing I know, we’re in about 32 states.”

By the end of this year, 10,000 veterans will fly to Washington, Miller said.

To sign up for a flight or to donate, visit www.louisianahonorair.com or call 877-219-7403.

Ellie