Talons Out Preps For 11th D.C. Flight For Vets

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At least 80 more members of the Greatest Generation living in Michigan’s Great Southwest will receive the honor of an all-expense paid trip to see the monuments built in their honor in our nation’s capital next month thanks to the generosity of the Talons Out Honor Flight program.

Talons Out Honor Flight volunteers are hard at work making phones calls to veterans and guardians, preparing wheelchairs, making arrangements for the Washington, DC trip and more as the 11th flight draws near. On Saturday, April 22 approximately 80 additional United States veterans will make the memorable trip like those aboard the ten flights preceding this one.

Talons Out Honor Flight President Bobbie Bradley says, “Even after 10 flights and 682 heroes honored, it’s an exciting time.

Bradley notes, “Each flight is special, because it’s the first flight for every veteran with us. We know, having been through this a few times, that it’s an experience of a lifetime for these men and women. A big part of that is our community stepping up. We’d love to have everyone join us to welcome our flight home at Kalamazoo Christian Middle School on 12th Street. Bring your lawn chairs and your flags and shake the hand of a hero. Details are on our website.”

One addition to this flight will be a West Michigan student honoring a late veteran as the winner of the Talons Out essay contest. The essay contest winner will be announced after a special board meeting April 26th.

As of March 15, 2017 the Talons Out Honor Flight team has flown 10 missions including 682 veterans, on their historic flights… all through the generous support of the community and volunteers. WWII and terminally ill veterans from other conflicts take priority status, however as of June 2016, Talons Out began to officially accept Korean War Veteran applications. As Bradley says, “Our heroes of the Forgotten War will be forgotten no more.”

Talons Out Honor Flight is a volunteer-run, 501(c)(3) non-profit organization honoring World War II and Korean War Veterans with an all-expense paid Washington, D.C. trip to visit their memorials. Talons Out is the Southern Michigan hub of the national Honor Flight Network. Learn more at  http://talonsouthonorflight.org

Any public or community inquiry should be directed to 269-273-4545.

The photo accompanying this story on Moody on the Market.com shows several Honor Flight veterans and volunteers attending the changing of the guard ceremonies at the Tomb of the Unknown Solider located at Arlington National Cemetery outside of Washington, D.C., as I captured the occasion on the afternoon of October 29, 2016.