On Saturday, March 18, local veterans held a fundraising pancake and sausage breakfast at the Dane Michael Veterans Center to aid in their cause of funding a “Honor Bus” tour to Washington, DC. The three-day event will take place on April 21st- April 23rd.
In their show of gratitude to the veterans, the Williams County Fair Foundation donated $300 to the group. 29 veterans and guests will be taking a charter bus to tour our nations capital, departing from the Williams County Veterans building in the early morning hours of April 21st. The veterans and members of our local VFW, Legion and AMVETS chapters, have been raising funds for the charter bus, meals, lodging and other expenses.
“We have one WWII veteran, Korean [war], some Vietnam veterans, Afghanistan veteran and state side veterans,” states project chairman Gloria Poorman, who is one of the veterans that will be on the bus as well, being a Marine veteran herself.
“We have received private donations from people to help the others that were unable to raise the individual funds” states Poorman. Each person wanting to go on the tour was asked to raise $428, which helps pays for the bus, lodging and meals. The funds will also provide snacks, games and some toiletries for the trip.
The “Honor Flights” were once a day-trip flight out of Toledo taking mainly WWI & II vets to see their respective memorials and monuments. The flights allowed our elder veterans the chance to see the nations capital, that were potentially unable to make a trip on their own. The “Honor Flights” have since ended, but there are many in the area that would still like the chance to see the monuments.
The tour will take the veterans and their guests to the Arlington Cemetery to see the Changing of the Guard, a grave tour, Iwo Jima Memorial, Air Force Monument, the Pentagon City Mall, the Washington monument, Vietnam memorial, Jefferson monument, Lincoln monument, the Smithsonian Museum, the Capitol building, and the White House.
Any persons wishing to donate to the trip is asked to call Gloria Poorman at 419-485-5341.
Angi Campos may be reached at publisher@thevillagereporter.com