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Goal

The goal is to provide a real life learning experience to JROTC cadets regarding the enormity of the sacrifices made by our World War II and Korean War veterans. We will accomplish this by having selected students personally participate in Collier County Honor Flights.

The Honor Flight Network is a non-profit organization created solely to honor America's veterans for all their sacrifices. They transport our heroes to Washington D.C. to visit and reflect at our memorials. Top priority is given to the World War II veterans, along with those other veterans who may be terminally ill. According to the Department of Veterans Affairs, an estimated 640 WWII veterans die each day.

The supporting tenets of this proposal are threefold. First, students will be assigned to a World War II veteran and learn about the details of his/her experiences during the war. Secondly, the student will travel to our Nation's Capitol with the veteran (and other veterans). Thirdly, the student will share, through reflection, his or her experiences with the other members of their high school upon their return.  

What will be done with my students

30 days prior to Honor Flight:

The student is provided with veteran's name and contact information by Collier County Honor Flight. The student will make contact with his or her assigned veteran and will create a biographical sketch on the veteran.

7 days prior to Honor Flight:

The student personally meets with his or her veteran and presents the biographical sketch making modifications as necessary

Day of travel to Washington D.C.

The student is linked up with his or her veteran at the specified pick up point and is transported by Collier County Honor Flight to the Southwest Florida International Airport in Fort Myers. The cadet, along with the other guardians and veterans of the Honor Flight, tour Washington D.C. and see such landmarks as the World War II Memorial, Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Korean War Memorial and Arlington National Cemetery. The Honor flight returns to Southwest Florida International Airport in Fort Myers, and is welcomed back by hundreds of local supporters to include many of our cadets!

7 days after the Honor Flight:

The cadet will make a reflective presentation to the students of his or her high school. The student will present the biographical sketch of the veteran and will provide a slideshow of pictures taken while on the Honor Flight and in Washington D.C. All efforts will be made to have the veteran present at his presentation.

Having as many of my students as possible serve on honor flights is my goal. This would be a reoccurring project for as long as the Honor Flights continue. The donation for someone to attend an Honor Flight is $400 which also helps pay for the veteran. This grant would enable 5 students to attend upcoming honor flights this school year. The first flight in which we would be participating would be September or November 2015. This school year, cadets have an opportunity to participate in 3 of the flights.
Last school year we had 5 cadets serve as guardians and their experiences were truly life changing. Even though only 5 cadets went to Washington, their stories were shared with all 150 of our cadets through a variety of briefings and discussions. It was the highlight of their high school years.
 

Benefits to my students

The mission of JROTC is to motivate young people to become better citizens. I have taken 4 groups of cadets to Washington DC over the past 8 years with the community's support and these trips were life-changing for our students. In April 2014, I escorted a World War II veteran to Washington DC on the 2nd Collier County Honor Flight, and of course we had 5 cadets serving as guardians last year with many of my cadets meeting the honor flights at the airport at the conclusion of the trips. I can't begin to explain how truly wonderful these Honor Flights are. Please help me give our cadets the same experience while instilling in them the rights, responsibilities and privileges of being American citizens. A good number of these cadets will be our future veterans and what better way to serve our nation than to honor and appreciate those who came before them and the sacrifices that were made. Thank you for your support.

Below is the link to pictures from the May 2015 Honor Flight: https://www.flickr.com/photos/97659798@N03/albums/72157652334359805/page1

Below is a link to the reception at the airport: https://www.flickr.com/photos/97659798@N03/sets/72157652314552022
 

Budget Narrative

These funds will be used for airfare, food, bus transportation in Washington and other expenses. 

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