5 minute read
Mid-Michigan Honor Flight
Honor Flight
By Amanda Renkiewicz
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We are all recipients of the greatness of our veterans and their sacrifices for our freedom. While many worthy charities help honor our armed forces, one philanthropy goes above and beyond, quite literally, to grant veterans an experience like none other.
The Mid-Michigan Honor Flight program offers veterans a free Tour of Honor. Veterans are flown to Washington, DC, and escorted to the memorials dedicated to their service and sacrifices. As explained by their website, “It is a day of remembrance, reconciliation, and honor. It’s like getting a hug from America. It may have taken America over 60 years to construct the WWII Memorial, but we feel it's about time these Greatest Generation heroes get to see it”. Volunteers called Guardians are personally assigned to each Veteran to ensure that they are properly cared for comfortably and safely. The organization is funded by individuals across the state who recognize the great accomplishments and sacrifices of veterans, and want them to see their memorial before it's too late. The Mid-Michigan Honor Flight gratefully accepts donations from anyone except the Veterans who will be flying with them.
GATHER Veterans was honored to interview Rick Birndorf, a major supporter and Guardian for a recent flight, who shared his incredible experience:
“I was fortunate enough to be invited this past September to be appointed as a Guardian to accompany an 88-year old Korean War Navy veteran to Washington DC. There were 65 WWII, Korean, and Vietnam war veterans on our flight. I was able to experience firsthand the incredible organization that is the Mid-Michigan Honor Flight. From the minute I arrived at Camp Grayling, the Honor Flight Staff of all volunteers took charge and organized my next two days to perfection. I was placed into a training class that covered all the potential issues facing a planeload of 65 men and women who averaged close to 85 years of age. All of the guardians were required to attend this training class. The most important point that was drilled into our heads was that this trip was not about us, it was for the veterans. We were to be 100% attentive to our assigned veteran, never leaving them alone, not even for one minute. We were not there to sightsee, read a book, listen to our music, or play on our phones but we were there for one reason: our Vet. If any Guardian felt differently, this was the time to leave. They were very adamant and for good reason.
The logistics of moving 65 people on multiple bus rides and same day air flights is daunting enough. Now add in the fact that the Veterans range in age from 80 to 101. Many are bound to wheelchairs. Many were wounded in combat and still suffered the effects of those wounds. At times, Veterans have actually passed away while on the Honor Flight trip.
The Honor Flight organization is ready for any emergency. They fly with certified medics, volunteer helpers to direct the flow at each stop, photographers, and media personalities. All are volunteering their time for many hours of hard work. It was all worth it just to see the look in each Veteran’s eyes as they are police escorted around Washington DC and welcomed at each stop by cheering citizens. This was their day, and our job as Guardians was to make sure they had the best experience possible.”
Through Rick’s efforts, the Mid-Michigan Honor Flight has become a staple fundraiser at the traverse City Golf and Country Club. Three years ago, the House and Social committee added a Wild Game Dinner to their schedule of events, and a decision was made to create a fundraiser around it. The committee explored various charitable organizations in the traverse City Area and focused on those that supported our Veterans. The Mid-Michigan Honor Flight captured their attention for a number of reasons. “The first was that 99.9% of all donations go directly to funding the Veteran’s flights,” Rick explained. “The second was the urgency for funds. At the time of the first dinner, WWII Vets were disappearing rapidly. Since that first year, the mission of Honor Flight now includes Veterans from the Korean and Vietnam wars as well. Finally, it was the right thing to do for the men and women who sacrificed so much for our country’s wellbeing. Our membership at the club was very keen on supporting this cause.”
This year was the third annual Wild Game Dinner and benefit for Honor Flight. With a goal to increase total donations annually, the event has brought in $1,700 in year 1, $12,000 in year 2, and an astounding $20,000 in year 3. The most recent event took place on November 9th and featured a live country singer, silent and live auction, and a raffle. The evening received significant support from local businesses, club members, and attending guests. The four-course plated meal began with butternut squash ravioli with braised rabbit sausage, gorgonzola crème, and toasted pumpkin seeds. A baby greens salad with confit of Canadian duckling, Bartlett
pear, dried cranberries, and polenta with white French vinaigrette followed. A delicious entree of New Zealand Elk Chop with Madeira sauce, dauphinoise potato, baby carrots, haricot verts, and baby turnips explored the possibilities of wild game. Dessert continued the theme of culinary excellence, with Michigan Honeycrisp apple bread pudding with salted caramel sauce and rum raisin ice cream. Incredible generosity was displayed by the members and staff of the Traverse City Country Club, as the funds raised surpassed everyone’s expectations and set the stage for a fabulous fundraiser in 2020.
Rick continues, “Honor Flight is a way to pay it forward to our men and women who served our country when it was needed the most. The sacrifices they made, both in time and effort, are the reason the United States remains strong and free today. So many paid the ultimate price, and those that survived the horrors of war came back to a country that while grateful, did little to honor those sacrifices. Now a lot of the men and women who served in our past wars are reaching the end of their lives. It is the least we can do to give them one last thank you, one last moment to receive the gratitude they so richly deserve. For most, it will be the last trip they ever take. They deserve to be recognized for their unselfish duty and incredible valor. They are all heroes no matter how, where, and when they served. Honor Flight is the perfect way to show them that as a nation, we are grateful, and we care.”
Learn more about the Mid-Michigan Honor Flight at midmichiganhonorflight.com, and find out how to participate and support the Wild Game Dinner fundraiser through tcgcc.com
