World War II veterans lift off for Indy Honor Flight to Washington D.C.
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Early Saturday morning, more than 100 World War II veterans from Indianapolis will be flying to Washington, D.C. for their Honor Flight.
The program takes the veterans to the nation’s capital at no cost to make sure they get to see the memorial built in their honor.
Some of the veterans wait on the list for years to take this flight.
It’s a one-day expedition that will take them on a special tour of monuments and memorials.
Veteran Harry Wolfe earned his purple heart and bronze star in World War II.
“I was wounded near Nancy, France just before the Battle of the Bulge,” he said.
His femur was shattered by a .50-caliber bullet.
“I laid for nine hours before being picked up by the medics,” he said. “The reason for that, I was in the middle of a mine field, I didn’t realize that until I was totally hurt.”
The last time he went to Washington, D.C. was even before that day.
“In 1944, I sat on the steps of the Capitol Building,” he said. “That’s been, what, 72 years now.”
Saturday, he gets to go back and visit the memorial built in his honor, along with many other Hoosier veterans.
“I’m hoping that I’ll run into someone that I knew overseas,” World War II Veteran Nan Somes said.
Somes joined the service just after the attack on Pearl Harbor.
“I volunteered in 1942 when there was a call for nurses,” she said.
Her time in the military began in New Orleans and took her around the world.
“I was transferred to North Africa with the 21st General Hospital,” she said, “From there we were transferred to Italy.”
“I’m very excited because she’s a veteran and she’s so proud of it,” Nan’s daughter-in-law, Lucy Somes, said. “It was the highlight of her life.”
Lucy will be going with Nan on the Honor Flight.
“I think it’s a wonderful way for her to celebrate her 100th birthday in August,” she said.
You can help honor those veterans by coming out to the big homecoming celebration Saturday night at 8 p.m. at Plainview High School.