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Second Honor Flight Set

Retired Col. Mike Abbott tells Enterprise Lions Club members about the second Honor Flight.

By Michelle Mann
Published: February 26, 2009

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By Michelle Mann
Ledger Staff Writer

The flight to transport Wiregrass World War II veterans to see the monument built in their honor got a $1,000 boost Monday as the Coffee County Commission voted unanimously to make a donation to the flight at Chairman Jim Thompson’s request. The city councils in Enterprise, Dothan, Ozark, Eufaula and Elba had voted previously to provide
financial support.

That is the kind of support the project is getting throughout the Wiregrass, according to retired Col. Mike Abbot, the Enterprise coordinator for the Wiregrass Honor Flight Project. He told Enterprise Lions Club members Wednesday the honor flight set for May 9 is at capacity and a second flight is being planned for Sept. 19.

The concept of the honor flights began in 2005 when a private aircraft pilot flew two World War II veterans to Washington D.C. to see the $119-.million-dollar monument built in their honor, Abbott said. “Before long groups began to form around the country with the mission of providing WW II veterans with transportation to the monument built in their honor.”

The Wiregrass Honor Flight Hub is the newest in the state, Abbott said. Hubs are also in Huntsville, Montgomery, Mobile and Birmingham.

According to Abbot, the flight is expected to cost some $65,000. The plan is to fly the 100 Wiregrass area veterans and 40 accompanying guardians to Washington, D.C., and return the same day. Abbot said the flight to see the national war memorials in general and the WWII Memorial in particular will be at no charge to the participating veterans and the guardians will pay their own way.