UK is Honored to Schedule 2017 Honor Flight
BLOG by Anthony Dotson, director of the University of Kentucky Veterans Resource Center:
The Fourth of July is already upon us, a reminder of just how short summer is and that the fall semester is just around the corner. As we enjoy this holiday with friends and family let us take a moment to reflect on the true meaning behind the "rocket’s red glare, and bombs bursting in air." John Adams famously said that “All men are born free….” And while that is true in America, we must acknowledge as Thomas Paine did that in order to “reap the blessings of freedom” we must “undergo the fatigue of supporting it.”
The freedoms we enjoy have been fought for here at home and on distant shores. It is something many of us may take for granted for few of us have had to fight for freedom. It is with these few in mind, that UK is honored and excited to be the first institution of higher learning to sponsor an Honor Flight in 2017.
Honor Flight is a nonprofit organization dedicated to honoring our veterans for their sacrifices in support of our freedom. They do this by providing flights to Washington D.C. in order for veterans to visit their war’s memorial. Priority of course going to our greatest generation of WWII but veterans from the Korean War and Vietnam are also considered.
UK’s Honor Flight is scheduled for May 20, 2017, Armed Forces Day. The flight will consist of approximately 70 veterans from our UK alumni, and family of our faculty and staff. In addition, each veteran will have a guardian for the duration of the trip. This will be an opportunity for UK faculty, staff and students to get involved personally in honoring those who have undergone the fatigue of supporting our freedom.
We are very excited about this initiative and look forward to honoring our veterans in a very tangible way.
More details will be relayed once they become available. All funds will be privately donated and raised via UK's own Student Veteran Organization and the Veterans Resource Center.
