World War II vets take Honor Flights to national memorial

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World War II veterans in northeast Wisconsin will soon get their chance to see their national memorial.

About 100 vets will take part in the first Honor Flight from Appleton on Oct. 27. Several hundred veterans have taken similar one-day trips from La Crosse and Milwaukee the past couple years.

The Honor Flight Network sponsors the trips to Washington to give the aging vets, many in their 80s and 90s, a chance to see the National World War II Memorial and Arlington National Cemetery before they die.

Up to 1,000 U.S. World War II vets are dying each day.

Andrew McDonald, who heads the network in northeast Wisconsin, says it’s a way to thank the veterans for their service.

The groups take donations so the vets can fly for free. Guardians ensure the veterans’ safetym and they pay their own way, which is about $500.

The Appleton chapter needs about $75,000 for each chartered flight. So far, they’ve raised about $22,000 for the initial journey in late October.

Tags: world war ii, honor flights, wisconsin, veterans