Euphenie Andre
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
Central Missouri Honor Flight (CMHF) is preparing for its final flight Monday, marking the end of a 16-year tradition of taking Mid-Missouri veterans to Washington, D.C. The organization was founded by Mary Paulsell, her brother Steve and his wife Sharon, along with Sarah Hill, Barbara Brueggeman, and Scott Schaefer.
“Central Missouri honor flight, founded with a bunch of people getting together who had a heart for veterans,” Hill said. “Back in the day, I was a television news reporter. We did a bunch of stories about these veterans who weren’t able to physically travel to see the memorials in Washington D.C and through the magic of honor flight, they’re physically able to be there,”
Steve shared his thoughts on the beginning stages of the organization.
“We thought we’d do one, maybe two flights that year hopefully get enough veterans, enough money to do that and that would be the end. That’s what we thought,” Steve Paulsell said.
The non-profit announced in a news release that after Honor Flight #71 departs, no additional trips will be scheduled.
“We are approaching this flight like we approached every flight. We’re going to give it everything we’ve got. I doubt anything on that flight will be said about it being the last flight,” Paulsell said.
Organizers said the number of veterans applying for the trips has dropped in recent years.
“The applications from especially Vietnam veterans has really slowed down,” Paulsell said.
Jean Butler served three years in the Army, including 13 months in Korea, 11 months in Germany, and 5 months in Pennsylvania. He had planned to make the trip last year but was sidelined by a heart attack. Now feeling much stronger, Butler is finally able to go and even brought along a fellow veteran friend from the Air Force. The two will experience their first Honor Flight together. Butler said it’s disappointing to see Central Missouri Honor Flight come to an end.
“I’m so disappointed that people are not taking advantage of this. It’s absolutely free to veterans that were honorably discharged and often time kind of ignored when we came home,” Butler said.
Organizers said in addition to a lack of applicants, rising costs also played a role in the decision.
“In our first year, first or second year, we’d sit and wait and watch the bank account and say, okay, okay, we’ve got enough money to go for another flight and then we’d go,” Paulsell said. “But after several of that, we started out… you know, the knowledge and understanding of what our flight does increased, and so did the revenue.”
On Monday, 70 Vietnam veterans and one Korean War veteran will travel to Washington, D.C., for a final day of reflection at the nation’s memorials. The group will gather at the Courtyard Marriott Hotel in Columbia on Sunday night before departing at 1:45 a.m. Monday for a charter flight out of St. Louis.
Organizers are inviting the community to join in welcoming the veterans home. They’re asking people to gather at the Courtyard Marriott on Monday at 9:15 p.m. to greet the group’s return.
“Bring your kids. This is something they’ll never get to see again. And it’s actually the homecoming that the Vietnam veterans never got,” Paulsell said.
While this will be the final flight organized by CMHF, Paulsell encourages veterans still interested in traveling on an Honor Flight to reach out. The organization can help connect them with surrounding chapters. For veterans unable to make the trip due to health concerns or other limitations, a virtual Honor Flight experience is available online.
The organization said the people of Central Missouri have been overwhelmingly generous in supporting the non-profit. Paulsell also thanked local law enforcement and first responders who have assisted with the flights over the years. Since launching in 2009, Central Missouri Honor Flight has carried more than 5,500 veterans to the nation’s capital.
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