Honor Flight to World War II memorial

SEMINOLE COUNTY, Fla. (WOFL FOX 35) - As we approach Independence Day, consider this: More than one thousand World War 2 veterans die each day. So many of the men and women who fought Naziism and saved our nation have not seen the memorial built in their honor.

And now, it’s a race for one last show of appreciation. At age 90, Orville Wright Blosser still keeps steady time when he plays the organ.
And the Army Air Corp veteran still remembers the exact amount of time he spent defending freedom in World War 2.

“Four years, six months, 24 days,” says Blosser. Like many of the 16 million who served in the U.S. armed forces from 1939 to 1945, Orville has never seen the one memorial dedicated to him and all of those brave men and women who halted the most reviled holocaust in human history.

“The Germans were bombing every night,” Blosser recalls. In 2004, fifty-nine years after the Second World War ended, the memorial opened in Washington D.C.

But for many veterans, it was too late. “A lot of these veterans are aging. They're in their 80s and 90s. And we want to help them see the memorial before it's too late,” says Rose Clements, who runs the Ocala division of Honor Flight, a non-profit that transports our heroes on a chartered jet to the nation's capital for a day of reflection.

“These WW2 veterans fought for our country, saved the world, and they've never even seen the memorial that was built for them,” says Clements.

The next Honor Flight is scheduled for October. About 172 vets are going up. So far, Honor Flight has $10,000 for the trip, and they need an additional $68,000. As part of its fund raising campaign, Honor Flight is asking anyone to adopt-a-vet for $350.

That will ensure a trip to D.C. for that veteran. For the Orville Wright Blossers of our country.
“This is great. I'm looking forward to it,” says Blosser.

While he waits for his Honor Flight, Orville basks in the appreciation from his grandchildren.

Gratitude in the form of a scrapbook with his favorite poem:

If I could choose from all the grandpa's in the world, there's no doubt I would still choose you.
Your eyes that shine with a touch of mischief, your laugh that always makes me smile.
Your arms that are ready to reach out to me, your heart that's always big enough to
welcome me.
The time you spend with me and the stories you share with me.
If I could choose from all the Grandpas in the world, there is no doubt I would still choose you.

ON THE WEB (HOW YOU CAN DONATE):
www.OcalaHonorFlight.org