Honor Flight Guardian training held at Tioga Downs On Tuesday evening, March 11, approximately 40 “Guardians” gathered at Tioga Downs in Nichols, N.Y. to discuss the Twin Tiers Honor Flight Trip to Washington, D.C. scheduled for Saturday, April 12, 2014. This trip, which is the first of what Honor Flight organizer DeAnna Deneen hopes is the first of many in the Southern Tier of New York and Northern Tier of Pennsylvania, is being funded by Jeff Gural, owner of Tioga Downs Casino and CEO of American Racing and Entertainment. The Twin Tiers Honor Flight, part of the Honor Flight Network, is a non-profit organization created to honor America’s veterans. The April 12 trip originating from Binghamton Regional Airport will fly 75 WWII and Korea-era veterans to see the memorials at the National Mall, as well as the changing of the guard at Arlington National Cemetery. A special stop is planned to see the Marine Corps War Memorial (also called the Iwo Jima monument), in honor of the veterans taking the trip who were at Iwo Jima. Top priority is given to the most senior veterans from WWII and Korea, and also terminally ill veterans. This inaugural flight includes WWII veterans who served at the Battle of the Bulge, Normandy, Iwo Jima and several Pacific theater operations. Veterans taking the flight are from Corning to Binghamton, N.Y., and as far south as Rome and Canton, Pa. The role of the Guardians is to assist veterans throughout the day, including boarding the aircraft, getting on and off provided charter buses which will take veterans to the sites, and helping them with other various needs. Guardians help veterans have a safe, memorable and rewarding experience. Deneen, a veteran herself stated, “For me, this is a way to say thank you to the heroes who made this world free.” In addition to discussing the agenda and pertinent information for April 12, Guardians were also asked to participate in gathering thank you cards and letters for the veterans. An extra form of honor, these cards and letters would be handed out during the return flight home, a modern day “mail call” so-to-speak, similar to veterans getting mail while they served overseas. School children or other groups are encouraged to participate. Letters and cards can be mailed by April 1, 2014 to: Mary Ann Tozer, 148 Field St., Corning, N.Y. 14830.
Posted on: Wed, 12 Mar 2014 16:26:11 +0000
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