Lone Star Honor Flight: Mission Accomplished!
On May 31, 2008, a total of 99 WWII Veterans participated in the inaugural Lone Star Honor Flight. The event was a tremendous success; a marvelous example of the pride, compassion, and excitement of people from across this county, and most certainly within our schools and the Montgomery community, to get involved in something great and worthwhile.
- Highlights from the May 2008 Honor Flight by Malcolm Pepper (if you don't have the most recent version of Flash Player installed, follow the link for an automatic, free, safe download then return to the URL)
- Newspaper article from The Courier, published on 6-4-2008
- Brad Meyer's slide show of the May 2008 Honor Flight from The Courier
- News piece by ABC Channel 13 on Lone Star Honor Flight, aired 6-2-2008
- News piece by ABC Channel 13 on Lone Star Honor Flight, aired 5-26-2008
- Press release and itinerary for the May 2008 Honor Flight (pdf)
Pictures and accounts from the May 2008 Honor Flight
From Babette Eikenberg, MISD Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources & Administrative Services:
"Words can’t describe how utterly grand it was to be in the Target parking lot at 4:30 a.m. to see people from around the various communities waving American flags, clapping, and cheering as the three buses left for the airport. Similarly, words can’t begin to describe the pride that was there at 1:00 a.m. Sunday morning when the three buses pulled to a stop and the veterans, guardians, and support personnel disembarked to cheers from those of us who traveled with them in mind and spirit."
From DiAnne Semands, MHS teacher and trip volunteer:
"My vet Mr. Jost got the only surviving item from his ship: the flag with 48 stars. It was old and tattered, and everyone touched it. His mine-sweeping ship cleared the Japan coast for the great invasion, and then bombs were dropped instead. His ship sank and most men were lost."
A wreath was provided by Congressman Kevin Brady and placed at the "Texas Pillar" of the WWII monument.
From Tammy Szymczak, MHS teacher and trip volunteer:
"My veterans, Mr. Luther Adams (a 1941 graduate of Texas A&M) and Mr. Jim Simmons, were the nicest men I have ever had the privilege of meeting. We had lots of fun."
From Malcolm Pepper, Rotarian and trip videographer:
From Mr. Ike Hargraves, in a letter to the editor of The Conroe Courier:
Have something to add?
If you have a picture from the May 2008 Honor Flight or a story you would like posted, e-mail it to webmaster@misd.org and we will do our best to get it posted.
Thanks to everyone involved with Lone Star Honor Flight!
Special thanks to:
- Montgomery Junior High School teacher Brenda Beaven, who came up with the idea of creating a Lone Star branch of the national Honor Flight program.
- Duane McFadden and the Montgomery Junior High staff for the work done behind the scenes to make the May 2008 Honor Flight happen.
- the countless individuals in the Montgomery area who organized resources and events, contacted and communicated with the veterans and guardian, worked with different governmental organizations, made presentations, went on the trip as guardians or support personnel, and planned or participated in the many fundraising events and benefits that made the flight possible.
- the veterans themselves, to whom we owe so much.
