Group Honors World War II veterans

November 7, 2009 - 8:07pm

Michelle Basch, WTOP Radio

WASHINGTON - You can see them regularly at all of our region's airports: cheering crowds with flags and balloons, even bands playing.

Why are they there? They're volunteers greeting World War II veterans from all over the US.

The Honor Flight Network gets them here, all expenses paid, to see the National World War II Memorial. The nonprofit group and its regional affiliates have been funding these flights since 2005. The group also pays to transport veterans of other wars to D.C., and gives priority to terminally ill veterans.

Visiting the gleaming white memorial with its cascading fountains can be overwhelming for veterans like 85-year-old Dominic Maturo of Connecticut. "Wait till I tell my grandkids," he tells WTOP, as his voice fills with emotion. "I'm so happy."

Hundreds of American veterans who served in World War II die each day.

Former Senator and Presidential candidate Bob Dole led the fundraising efforts for the memorial, which opened in 2004.

Dole, also a veteran, greets volunteers and veterans when they visit the site. "I say, 'Did you shed a tear?' and they say certainly," he says. "But it's not a tear of sadness, it's just emotion. "

For more information about Honor Flights and how you can get involved, visit this website.

Michelle Basch, WTOP Radio

WASHINGTON - You can see them regularly at all of our region's airports: cheering crowds with flags and balloons, even bands playing.

Why are they there? They're volunteers greeting World War II veterans from all over the US.

Hundreds of American veterans who served in World War II die each day.

Former Senator and Presidential candidate Bob Dole led the fundraising efforts for the memorial, which opened in 2004.

Dole, also a veteran, greets volunteers and veterans when they visit the site. "I say, 'Did you shed a tear?' and they say certainly," he says. "But it's not a tear of sadness, it's just emotion. "

For more information about Honor Flights and how you can get involved, visit this website.

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