Honoring WWII Veterans– Honor flights to Washington D.C.
Honor Flight’s primary mission is to escort WWII veterans from around the country to visit the iconic war memorials in Washington D.C. The first Honor Flight occurred in May, 2005 when a group of private pilots, at their own expense, flew a handful of Vets to Washington D.C. Subsequently, a nationwide Honor Flight network was established with regional hubs. Since 2006, all Honor Flight hubs have employed commercial aircraft due to the program’s burgeoning popularity. Come along and visit with Bear McGill, Central Coast Honor Flight’s chairperson as he tells passionate personal stories about the poignant pilgrimages with WWII vets. Next up, we visit with WWII Naval gunner, Stanley (Steve)
1942
Pivarski, who served on the USS Idaho for the duration of the war, including duty in Tokyo during the surrender ceremonies onboard the USS Missouri. Pivarski reluctantly agreed to talk about his wartime experiences–from the day he signed up through discharge and re-entry in to the civilian workforce. Stephen Pivarski passed away less than six months after our interview–five days before his 90th birthday. And then it’s on to visit with author and long time Parisian resident, Hilary Kaiser, producer of numerous books about WWII French War Brides–some who moved to America with their new husbands and others who settled in France.