U.S. Navy veteran George Bickford, a resident of urban unincorporated Clackamas, left Oct. 21 with several other local veterans and their families for Washington, D.C., to visit the memorials erected in their honor.
Fifteen veterans and their family members left the Portland International Airport Monday morning, bound for Washington D.C. on a Journey of Heroes trip. It's the largest group yet for the Journey of Heroes, which gives veterans a chance to visit the war memorials made in their honor. "I can hardly talk! I'm so excited!" said WWII Veteran William Mangold, about to board an airplane for the first time in 35 years. "This is one chance in my life where I'll get to see something like this, you know? And it couldn't be a better place to go."
More than a dozen Oregon veterans head to Washington DC today. The Journey of Heroes trip is to give them an opportunity to see war memorials created to honor them and their service. 99 year old Rocky Lessard is the oldest vet making the trip. He served in the US Navy in World War Two. He says it’s his first time east of the Mississippi River. He says he recently lost his wife and says “she was a special little gift from God and I’m lonesome for her.” The trip is made possible by the non profits Wish Of A Lifetime and Vital Life Foundation.
A special flight took off from Portland International Airport destined for Washington, D.C. on Monday. It’s a Journey of Heroes flight. The trip included 15 veterans of World War II, Korea and Vietnam. Journey of Heroes offers senior veterans the opportunity to visit war memorials created in their honor in Washington, D.C.
Hosted at the Aurora State Airport by the Vital Life Foundation on Wednesday, hundreds of veterans and their family members attended the Spirit of '45 celebration. Veterans were honored and taken for flights in a vintage aircraft, Boeing-Stearman biplane, or a helicopter.