[SkateDC] Heroe's Welcome Volunteers Needed [Off Topic]

[George Marinkovich]

As residents of the Washington, DC, area we get the chance to participate in some unique volunteer opportunities.

Heroes' Welcome is a Non-profit Veterans Organization affiliated with American Legion Auxiliary Unit 180 in Vienna, VA.  They are dedicated to hosting World War II Veterans in Washington, DC as they visit the Memorial built in their honor.

The youngest WWII vets are now in their 80s. Between 900-1200 WWII vets 
die each day, and on many  honor flights one or two seats sit empty because a veteran has passed away just days before the flight.   Time is of the essence to make sure that WWII vets and other 
terminally ill vets get to see the memorials  erected in their honor. 

The Badger Honor Flight (http://www.badgerhonorflight.org/) will proudly transport 100 World War II veterans, some who have been on a waiting list for over two years, and about 60 guardians and medical personnel, to Washington Dulles airport on Saturday, April 17, 2010.

30 supplemental guardians, local volunteers, are needed to accompany the vets on buses as they set out on a day of sightseeing.  They will be going to Arlington Cemetery, Iwo Jima, the World War II Memorial, and the Korean, Vietnam, and Lincoln Memorials.  After dinner, the veterans head back to Dulles for their 8:30 PM return flight home.

I am volunteering to be one of the guardians.  If you are interested in being one of the guardians there is a mandatory training 
session on Sunday, April 11, at 2-4 PM at the American Legion in Vienna, VA.  If 
you 
wish to attend please contact Judi Wybenga at heroeswelcomeiad at gmail.com and indicate your interest in being a guardian, andand she will add you to the list as well as forwarding additional info 
on the 
location.

On Saturday, April 17, 2010, you need to be at Dulles Airport no later than 8:45 AM where you will pick up your gate pass and greet the veterans upon their arrival at the gate.  Volunteers for the day will provide a 
Heroes' Welcome as they cheer, shake hands, hug, and thank these 
veterans for their service.  The flight is met with a water cannon 
salute (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water_salute) and a decorated gate area.  Badger Honor Flight will also provide flags, World War II era music, and an active 
duty military and color guard when available.   Then my understanding is that we will assist with getting the veterans on board buses and then accompany the veterans for the sightseeing tour of the memorials in DC and their return to Dulles airport after dinner.  I expect we will learn more particulars at the mandatory training session on Sunday, April 11.

For those who don't have the 12 hours of time to participate as a guardian on Saturday, April 17, 2010, you can still greet the arriving veterans at Dulles airport.  Attending the guardian training session is not required to be a greeter, but you still need to contactJudi Wybenga at heroeswelcomeiad at gmail.com.  Provide her your name as it appears on a government issued ID and your date of birth in order to get a gate pass for the Badger Honor Flight arrival on Saturday, April 17, 2010.

The World War II Memorial was built nearly 60 years after the War ended.  By that time, most of these Veterans were well into their 70’s and 80’s and no longer had the means or the ability to get there.  In Honor Flight Network's first year, 2005, HFN safely transported 137 veterans.  With the continued support of grateful Americans, by the end of the 2009 flying season in November, HFN transported more than 35,996 veterans of World War II, Korea and Viet Nam to see the memorials built to honor their suffering and sacrifice to keep this great nation free and a world leader.

If April 17, 2010 is a bad date for you, but you would still like to participate as a greeter or guardian on some other day, please see http://heroeswelcome.handzonsitemaker.com/#.  Check out the tabs for Dulles, Reagan, and BWI airports, there are numerous other flights arriving on other days.

Thanks for you indulgence.

Cheers,
George