By Leslie Benson – Marketing Communications > When Vice President Kent Moore saw his father, Richard Moore, a veteran of the Korean conflict, step off the plane in Washington, DC, as part of the Greater Lafayette Honor Flight recognizing the contributions of US war veterans and their families, he says it became one of his favorite memories of all time. “There was so much pride in his face,” Moore says. “It was something I’ll never forget.”
Accompanying his dad on the April 29th Greater Lafayette Honor Flight, sponsored by the Lafayette Gold Star Mothers, Moore, with other veterans and their guardians, participated in a unique day-long tour that took off from the Purdue University Airport in Lafayette, Indiana, and landed at the Baltimore/Washington International Airport, where they caught a bus that toured them around Washington, DC’s memorials and monuments, including those for World War II, the Korean conflict, and the Vietnam War, where they could visit and reflect, honoring the sacrifices that had been made.
“It was amazing to be able to share this experience with my 85-year-old father,” Moore says. “The experience made a great impact in our lives.”
As co-president of the Greater Lafayette Honor Flight and president of the Indiana Gold Star Mothers, Pam Mow had planned the trip to say thank you to America’s Greatest Generation. The $80,000 cost of each flight is funded entirely by local donations. “There are a lot of special moments on these flights,” Mow says (Purdue Connections, Winter 2013). “Just to see these guys get the honor they deserve, it warms your heart. They are treated like heroes, because that’s what they are.”
According to their website (www.lafayettegoldstarmothers.org), the mission of Lafayette Gold Star Mothers is to see every Indiana World War II, Korean conflict, or Vietnam War veteran who wants to visit their monuments in Washington, D.C., has that opportunity. The Greater Lafayette Honor Flight is a hub of the national Honor Flight Network, a volunteer organization created solely to honor America’s veterans for all their sacrifices. Top priority is given to the most senior war veterans, along with any terminally ill veteran. The Honor Flight project is now accepting applications. To nominate a veteran for the trip or to volunteer as a guardian, go to www.lafayettegoldstarmothers.org or contact Mow at [email protected].
Read more about the trip here.