Former news anchor and author Tom Brokaw coined the term “The Greatest Generation” to describe those Americans who grew up during the Great Depression and went off to fight in World War II.
A force once 16 million strong, U.S. veterans of World War II are now dying at a rate of more than 1,000 a day, and their ranks have shrunk to about 2.5 million nationwide, according to Department of Veterans Affairs estimates.
The 2000 U.S. Census recorded more than 127,000 WWII veterans living in Georgia. It also put more than 3,000 of those veterans in Columbus.
On Tuesday, a commercial aircraft chartered by West Georgia Honor Flight will carry 100 local veterans from Columbus and surrounding areas to Washington. During the daylong visit to the nation’s capital, 50 volunteers will escort the veterans to the National World War II Memorial, a monument built in their honor.
Since the program’s first flight in 2005, the national Honor Flight Network has transported 20,000 veterans to Washington free of charge. West Georgia Honor Flight will provide WWII and terminally ill veterans the same service, said flight organizer Royce Ard.
“Economically, it’s not the right time to do it, but the issue is: Time is of the essence,” Ard said. “… we started out with 16 million World War II veterans that fought in the war. We’re down to less than 3 million today. So it’s important for us to get this program off the ground so every World War II veteran that would like to visit their memorial will be able to.”
West Georgia Honor Flight volunteers will help the veterans throughout the day by pushing wheelchairs, assisting with loading and unloading equipment and delivering lunch.
It makes sense that Columbus would provide an Honor Flight to area veterans since so many of them reside in the Chattahoochee Valley, Ard said.
The West Georgia chapter plans to pull together the funds, approximately $68,000, to carry another wave of veterans to Washington as early as October.
Although all veterans were encouraged to sign up for the inaugural West Georgia Honor Flight, top priority was given to the oldest veterans and those who are terminally ill.
Welcome home rallies
Pam Nichols, co-director of Honor Flight Birmingham, said the Alabama group has completed seven flights since April 2008. The welcome home ceremonies have grown in scope and size with each return, she said.
“I would estimate our last flight to have a welcome home crowd of about 400,” Nichols said. “People who come out include family members, friends and members of the community that just come to thank the veterans for their service and sacrifice.”
Nichols advises the Columbus community to embrace the opportunity to give these World War II veterans a hero’s homecoming.
“Ours is a one-day trip, so we remind everyone that the veterans will have put in a very long day so make the celebration memorable but short,” Nichols said. “We don’t do bands, food, etc., as they are very tired, but excited and appreciative for the show of appreciation and support. The main thing is to shake their hands or offer a hug and say, ‘Thank you for all you did for us.’
“I always tell them that we will make sure that the world never forgets what they did,” she said. “When multiple generations show up to say thank you — they know that it is true.”
The West Georgia Honor Flight welcome home ceremony is free and open to the public. Participants are encouraged to bring American flags and posters praising the veterans.
“I think an essential part of being human is being grateful for what we have and we owe these guys so much,” said Betsy Covington, executive director of the Community Foundation of the Chattahoochee Valley Inc. “I want to look these guys in the eyes and say, ‘Thank you so, so much for what you did.’ They should be so proud of the sacrifices they made. This is nothing but a complete honor for me.”
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