By Fred Brown (Contact)
Saturday, May 3, 2008
More than 100 World War II veterans have signed up for HonorAir Knoxville's second flight to Washington, D.C., and applications are being taken for a third flight planned this fall.
The group heads May 21 to visit the World War II Monument in the nation's capital, and they'll have an orientation meeting today at 8 a.m. at Sacred Heart Cathedral in West Knoxville.
The flight - sponsored by Prestige Cleaners in partnership with the Rotary Foundation of Knoxville and by Covenant Health and Home Federal Bank of Tennessee - aims to honor East Tennessee veterans who fought in North Africa, Europe and Asia more than 60 years ago.
HonorAir is accepting World War II veterans from Knox, Anderson and Blount counties, and 112 veterans signed up for this trip, as have 30 guardians. Five alternates also are signed up. HonorAir's first Knoxville trip was in October. A date for the third trip this fall hasn't been set.
Some 16 million Americans served in World War II, according to the Department of Veterans Affairs, but only about 3 million are alive, with about 1,200 dying daily.
Among those going this month are Knoxville brothers Howard and Carson Baldwin, who served in the U.S. Army together. Howard was with the 692nd Tank Destroyer Battalion and was at the Battle of the Bulge. Carson was with the 101st and 503rd Military Police Battalion in Italy.
Also going: Joe Laney, an Army machine gunner at Normandy, the Rhineland and Battle of the Bulge; Sawyers Needham Jr., a B-17 pilot with the Air Force who flew 35 missions over Germany; and George Wame, a B-26 pilot with the Air Force who flew numerous combat missions over Germany.
Retired senior writer Fred Brown may be reached at brownf08@gmail.com.