The Rotary Club District 6960 which has 50 clubs, and covers Southwest Florida including the Rotary Club of Lehigh Acres, sponsored a trip of a life time for 55 veterans.
55 World War II veterans from Southwest Florida are spending the day at our nation’s capital, on an Honor Flight to tour the World War II memorial.
It is free for the veterans, and they each have a Rotary guardian travelling alongside them.
The group gathered at Southwest Florida International Airport around 6:30 a.m. Saturday to get ready for the journey.
They were all given matching t-shirts for the trip. For some, it’s their first time visiting the memorial.
For Paul Sanborn, it is a very special opportunity. The Cape Coral veteran says, “I think it’s a tremendous experience to actually travel with all these World War II vets and probably tell a lot of different stories.”
Rotarian Amy Rouskey raised $500 to make the trip, with Sanborn as her travel partner. She too, is thrilled to be a part of the experience. “I get to help them see what they fought for, it’s just a great honor. I’m at a loss for words. I think it will be emotional, I brought my tissues,” she says.
Rouskey calls these vets the greatest generation. And as they get older, Sanborn knows this may be the only opportunity some of them have to see the monument marking their place in history.
“It’s an honor to be selected to go on this flight,” Sanborn says.
The group is expected to return to Southwest Florida around 9:30 p.m. Saturday night.