Honor Tour gets the fanfare it deserves

A very special flight departed Cape Girardeau Regional Airport for Washington, D.C., on Friday morning.

They left Poplar Bluff with great fanfare before the flight, including traveling under raised firetruck ladders and passing by groups of people outside John J. Pershing VA Medical Center, waving flags and cheering.

The group of 30 veterans and 20 caretakers will participate in the Veterans Honor Tour, organized by the Wake Foundation.

The three-day trip will allow participants to visit the World War II, Korean War and Vietnam Veterans memorials, along with visits to the Pentagon, White House and Arlington National Cemetery.

The flight normally departs from St. Louis. This is the first time it left from Cape Girardeau.

Robert D. Wake, a Kennett, Missouri, native and Purple Heart recipient who served in the Iraq War, co-founded the foundation. Wake also went to Southeast Missouri State University.

The foundation covers all the expenses for the veterans’ trip while caretakers pay for their portion.

This is a wonderful experience for the veterans to visit our nation’s capital. We’re pleased so many people came out Friday to support the effort, and so many people have continued to support it over the years since it started.

Special thanks to the Wake Foundation for organizing such a worthwhile trip for these American heroes. And to each of the service members, thank you. We hope you enjoy the Veterans Honor Tour.