Help make Honor Flights possible for veterans

Remember Pearl Harbor, Korea, Vietnam, Desert Storm, Iraq and Afghanistan? They all have one thing in common - American service people who have or are now serving our great country.

We now have a special place in Washington for our veterans to visit. Even wheelchair veterans are taken on this trip with the help of a chaperon (they have to pay for the trip themselves).

To help our veterans visit this special place, we have Honor Flights. These flights are set up through donations from the public and businesses in our area. The average cost to send a veteran on this trip is $600. Our local service clubs have helped in many ways, but with everyone's help we can keep these flights going for years to come.

Just think: 3 cents from every Buchanan County resident and 10 cents from every Independence resident would send two veterans on these trips. So, please, help us send a veteran on an Honor Flight. Remember, these men and women have given you the freedoms you are enjoying today.

The following people will help you go on a flight or accept your donation: Patty Myers, Veterans Affairs, Buchanan County Courthouse, 210 Fifth Ave. NE, Independence, IA 50644, (319) 334-4961; or Sullivan Hartogh Davis, Post 730, c/o J. Liming, 404 Locust St., La Porte City, IA 50651. Your local VFW and legion clubs can help, too. All donations are deductible.

On May 10, 15 Buchanan County veterans will make this trip.

Charles M. Conklin

Independence