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Central Prairie Honor Flights
is a program of Central Prairie Resource Conservation
and Development. In less than one year the Central
Prairie RC&D has sponsored a group of patriotic
leaders that have built the Central Prairie Honor
Flight Committee. Their mission is to cooperate with
any group, individual, or entity to identify World War
II Veterans and fly them to Washington DC to their
WWII Memorial as well as the Korean, and Vietnam
memorials as soon as possible.
We are losing these heroes at over 1,800 a day
nationwide. There are less than 350,000 of the
original 16 million still with us. Many can not
travel. In the last 17 months, our local effort has
raised over $200,000, flown over 350 veterans and
Guardians on five flights from Kansas City, Wichita &
Denver to
Baltimore. We have chosen a red carpet driven,
economical method with a 50-56 hour itinerary. The
veterans fly to Washington for a banquet on the first
day. The second day they will see their WWII
Memorial, meet Bob Dole, see the Korean War Memorial,
Lincoln Memorial, Vietnam War Memorial Wall. A short
souvenir break, then cross the Potomac, see the IWO
JIMA Memorial, and the final changing of the guard at
Arlington National Cemetery before bedding down. Day
three we get them home before dark. The bus rides are
full of video of the WWII Memorials construction, and
the Dedication ceremony. Courageous testimonies and
more networking truly bond these Heroes and allow
closure that few other events can. Each Veteran goes
for free and we have shaved costs for them down to
roughly $500.00 each. This includes bus in Kansas,
food, plane, Bus in DC area, hotel... Everything
except their souvenir monies.
Many Veterans have heard about our itinerary and where
they wouldn't go on another trip they want ours. Our
veterans are spreading the word that our focus is the
RED Carpet. As the liaison between National Honor
Flights Network and Hubs across Kansas, we have nearly a thousand
in the database that want to go
from across Kansas.. |
