AUSTIN, Texas — Seven Pearl Harbor survivors from Texas will travel to Washington, D.C. this week for a special ceremony at the World War II Memorial in Washington, D.C., commemorating their service during the December 7, 1941 attack on the United States Naval Base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.
The trip is being organized by Honor Flight Austin, the Central Texas chapter of a national Honor Flight Network to transport veterans to our nation’s capital to visit their memorials. The highest priority is given to WWII veterans, who are dying at a rate of about 640 a day, and any veterans with terminal illnesses. Honor Flight trips are provided at no cost to the veterans, and Honor Flight volunteers are experienced making arrangements for wheelchair access and other medical or mobility issues, for these veterans are mostly in their 90s or older.
Nationally, only about 2,000 Pearl Harbor survivors are still alive, according to Tanya Kinney, the assistant director of public relations for Honor Flight Austin. Kinney told Breitbart Texas that the seven Pearl Harbor survivors will depart from Austin Bergstrom International Airport at 12:40 p.m. Central Time on Saturday, December 6th, and there will be a solemn ceremony at the World War II Memorial on Sunday, December 7th.
The group will return Sunday evening, and Honor Flight Austin has arranged a “Welcome Home” celebration for them at the airport at 8:00 p.m. Central Time, at the Southwest Ticket lobby. Members of the public are encouraged to come, and Honor Flight Austin has set up a Facebook event page with all the details. “It is such a memorable time for our veterans and for those participating,” said Kinney.
For more information:
Honor Flight Austin on Facebook
Photo credit: Honor Flight Austin.
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