Latest news with #HonorFlight
Yahoo
a day ago
- General
- Yahoo
‘I feel very honored': WWII veteran celebrates 105th birthday
WEST WARWICK, R.I. (WPRI) — It was a monumental day for longtime West Warwick resident Peter Ricci. The World War II veteran celebrated his 105th birthday with a visit from Rep. Earl Read, who presented him with a citation thanking him for his service. He received the honor surrounded by his family and friends Monday afternoon. Ricci enlisted in the U.S. Navy when he was 23 years old and spent most of his time aboard a minesweeper off the coast of Okinawa, Japan. STREET STORIES: WWII veteran surprised with Honor Flight trip for 100th birthday He now lives at Monsignor De Angelis Manor I with his 95-year-old wife Mary and spends most of his free time at the West Warwick Senior and Community Center. 'I feel very honored,' Ricci said. 'I have a beautiful wife and a beautiful life.' Though his birthday was officially on May 14, Ricci's neighbor Sheila Monahan took it upon herself to make sure he was properly recognized for the major milestone. 'Peter and his wife are a delight to know,' Monahan said. 'He's had such a wonderful and exciting life.' NEXT: WWII veteran graduates from Cranston High School East Download the and apps to get breaking news and weather alerts. Watch or with the new . Follow us on social media: Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Honor Flight Mission 89 celebrates veterans' return to Rochester
ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WROC) – Honor Flight Rochester welcomed back 62 veterans to Rochester on Sunday afternoon from their weekend trip to Washington, D.C. Mission 89 left early Saturday morning. This was the second mission this year. Mission 89 has flown more than 4,500 veterans since it began in 2008. Honor Flight is funded through hundreds of volunteers and the generosity of organizations, individuals, corporations, and testamentary bequests. Sunday's Mission 89 included: 3 Cold War veterans, 7 Cold War/Vietnam War veterans and 52 Vietnam War veterans. Their branches of service are: Army (34), Navy (9), Air Force (9), Marines (8) Army/Marines (1) and Coast Guard (1). The welcome-home celebration took place at the Frederick Douglass Greater Rochester International Airport. Christian Garzone with 13WHAM News was the emcee, and Monroe County Executive Adam Bello was the keynote speaker. Soloist Peter Pirro sang the National Anthem with the Pittsford Fire Department Band. U.S. Naval Sea Cadets also took part in the ceremony. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Local barbecue contest raises money for veteran Honor Flights to D.C.
RAYTOWN, Mo. — A backyard barbecue competition at the historic Rice-Tremonti home in Raytown raised a lot of money Saturday morning, giving local veterans the chance to be sent on Honor Flights to memorials in Washington, D.C. Last year, the Ivanhoe Masonic Lodge raised more than $18,000 for Honor Flights. This year, they've beefed up the event with the hope of raising nearly double that amount. About a dozen competitors spent the day smoking ribs, wings, and side dishes for the coveted trophy, but their real goal was sending vets to the United States Capitol for a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. WATCH: Crews on scene of large home explosion in Gladstone 'I was close with my great-grandfather, and he was a World War II vet. He and my grandfather went on an Honor Flight right before he passed away in 2012 or 2013, I want to say, and they just raved about how awesome it was,' Mason Sewing of the Ivanhoe Masonic Lodge said. 'I just want to be able to give back in some way. I mean, our veterans are huge for our communities—they mean a lot to me, especially coming from a military family.' Vendors set up on the front lawn of the historic Rice-Tremonti home, offering baked goods, BBQ sauce, and plenty of handmade crafts. Guests were also invited to tour the pre–Civil War–era home, which was built in 1844. For more information about the historic landmark and details regarding visiting hours, . Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Permian Basin Veterans Honored in D.C.
SAN ANGELO, Texas (Concho Valley Homepage) —Nearly 100 West Texas veterans recently traveled to Washington, D.C., on a three-day journey to visit the memorials built in their honor — a trip filled with reflection, remembrance and healing, made possible by the nonprofit Permian Basin Honor Flight. The organization, based in West Texas, provides all-expenses-paid trips to Washington for local veterans to see the Korean War Veterans Memorial, Vietnam Veterans Memorial, World War II Memorial, and other sites of national significance. Veterans visited a total of 14 memorials and museums over the course of the trip. Wesley Smith, who took over as flight director in 2023, said the program's goal is simple: to give these heroes the recognition and gratitude they deserve while there's still time. 'The Honor Flight is for us to bring those war heroes to this memorial, to the Korean Memorial, to the Vietnam Memorial before it's too late — to honor them and serve them and show them the respect that they so deserve, and to show them the world is changing,' Smith said. 'It's not going to be the same world these Vietnam vets came home to. And to show the Korean War vets they're never going to be forgotten. The history books tell them it's the 'forgotten war,' but it's not…' Smith has been involved with the Honor Flight team since 2015 and served as board president from 2018 to 2019. 'absolutely love getting to lead men and women heroes to care for them and honor them with the upmost respect that they deserve,' he said. The trip is made possible entirely through community fundraising and sponsorships. Each veteran's flight, lodging, meals, and transportation cost about $2,000 — none of which is charged to the veteran. 'So we have to raise that money all year long or these vets don't get to come up here,' Smith said. 'The last thing we want to do is say, 'Hey, you've been selected for a beautiful trip, but you owe us money.' And we're not going to do that. So it takes a community — it takes all community efforts to bring this together and make this happen The emotional impact of the trip was evident in conversations with veterans and their guardians. 'Going through this and being out here and how therapeutic it is — and getting to kinda rehash some of the things and let some of the emotions out that maybe you've held up a long time — is great,' said Danny Davis of Midland, who volunteered as a guardian for the trip. 'To the workers, I would say thank you. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. I'm so grateful I was chosen for this flight, and I've enjoyed it,' said Trinand, a Vietnam veteran on the trip. 'The personnel, the people — our friends. They are my friends. We're brothers because of the war, but now we're friends because we have met.' For some, the visit to the memorials brought back powerful memories — and a sense of closure. 'I would suggest that they all come here and visit the memorials,' said Vietnam veteran William Tolbert. 'I'm thoroughly enjoying it, and I wouldn't want to come here in the summertime, but it's really impressive.' 'Oh man, this trip has been awesome — just honoring our vets that set the pace for us, you know, led the way,' said Army veteran Manuel Payan. 'It's an honor just to be around them. And it's great to just make new friends, especially with people like that that served.' In addition to moments of solemn reflection, the trip also included time for connection and celebration — from dancing to storytelling — as veterans connected and made new memories together. The Permian Basin Honor Flight continues its mission through year-round fundraising to ensure future generations of veterans receive the honor and healing they've earned. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- Yahoo
Midwest Honor Flight veterans reflect on Memorial Day
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO/AP) — Army veteran Darrell Williamson of Sioux Falls was among the 85 honored area veterans brought to the nation's capital by Midwest Honor Flight on May 6. 'It was beyond anything I expected,' Williamson said Monday. 'I mean … they call it the Honor Flight, and honor is the word.' Williamson and Air Force veteran Steve Tinklenberg of Sioux Falls, who was also part of the group of 85, each highlight the experience of visiting the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery. Veterans' park visitors honor the fallen 'You cannot go there enough,' Tinklenberg said Monday. 'I mean, you're going to be moved every time.' 'The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier was, caught my heart,' Williamson said. For many people, May's final Monday is a day off from work and thus, maybe an opportunity to relax or enjoy some down time. But that, of course, isn't the reason for Memorial Day, when the country honors the names and stories of those who gave their lives while they served with the nation's armed forces. As Tinklenberg considers the meaning of Memorial Day, he shares what he saw on the May 6 journey while visiting the Vietnam Veterans Memorial on the National Mall. 'I watched one of the veterans who had never been there, and he found his, two of his friends that had died there, and he was a basket case … but, cathartic for him,' Tinklenberg said. On that trip as well as on Memorial Day, the country honors people who sacrificed themselves and the opportunity to experience everything the years can offer. 'I had a life that they didn't,' Williamson said. It's why Memorial Day, like the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier or the wall at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, is a permanent memorial today as well as tomorrow. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
