Of the estimated 21 million U.S. military veterans living, the number of those who served in World War II is declining rapidly. According to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, some 900 WWII vets pass away each day. Recognizing those who have served, the national Honor Flight Network’s local chapter will fly approximately 90 WWII vets from Myrtle Beach to Washington, D.C., on May 23, at no charge to the veterans. This will be the first time most of them have viewed the National World War II Memorial.

The national Honor Flight Network, a non-profit organization, has local chapters across the U.S., including one in our area, Honor Flight Grand Strand/Myrtle Beach. Retired Navy officer Bert Cassels remembers how he caught wind of these flights and his desire to form a local chapter.

“I became involved after watching a television program on Honor Flight of South Carolina,” said Cassels. The Columbia-based chapter will sponsor a flight in April paid for by 19 participating South Carolina electric cooperatives. “[Most] of the WWII veterans had never seen the National World War II Memorial. I decided to see if it was possible to [host] an Honor Flight from Myrtle Beach. I got the details, and decided to try.” Walter Kollet is now the trip coordinator and chairman of the local chapter.

In the chapter’s first three flights, some 270 WWII vets were flown to D.C. and back, and the trips have been described as “emotional, moving and worth every penny.” Each trip costs about $60,000 including the flights, buses, a noon meal and incidentals. No Honor Flight staff member is paid; all are volunteers. In fact, the 45-50 “guardians” (those assigned to help the vets in their travels), pay $500 for the privilege to serve. The one-day trips begin early in the morning with a flight to D.C., then after lunch and a long visit at the Memorial comes the return flight home—a 14-hour day for these vets whose average age is 85.

Retired WWII Navy veteran John Vargas was on the first Honor Flight from Myrtle Beach in 2010. “It was not the Memorial or the structures that impressed me the most,” said Vargas, “but it was the people, the school children, how they greeted us and treated us. And the Honor Flight guardians—they were all so wonderful and made me proud to be there.”

“My father was a WWII veteran,” added Cassels, “and I just have a great feeling for our ‘Greatest Generation.’”