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VOL. 4/ISSUE 32
THURSDAY, JUNE 9, 2016
Korean war vets join Honor Flight Patrick McCallister FOR VETERAN VOICE
pmccallister@veteranvoiceweekly.com
The sad news is that the nation is losing its World War II veterans. The good news is that Southeast Florida Honor Flight isn’t running out of veterans to take to Washington D.C. It has turned its attention to the Forgotten War. “This last flight, we had 20 World War II veterans and 61 Korean War veterans,” Kathy Sreenan, public affairs officer, said. “It was an indicator that we’re starting a new chapter.” May 14 was the local Honor Flight hub’s latest flight. It was the first time the hub has taken Korean War veterans to the National Mall and other places around the nation’s capital. The hub will take more World War II and Korean War veterans to see their memorials on the National Mall on Sept. 10 and Oct. 8. About 16 million Americans served in World War II. The Pew Research Center reports that there are only about a million alive today. The youngest World War II veterans are entering their 90s. The war ended in September of 1945. Korean War veterans aren’t much younger. That war raged from 1950 to 1953. It ended in July. About 5.7 million Americans served in that war. Today the youngest are in their 80s. About 160,000 Korean War veterans live in the Sunshine State. Florida has about the same number of World War II veterans, according to the Florida Department of Veterans Affairs. There are about 160,000, the largest number of any state. However, Southeast Florida Honor Flight has been taking World War II veterans to see the National World War II Monument since 2009. The hub has four flights a year, two in the spring and two in the fall. Each as about 80 veterans. That’s about 2,000 World War veterans the hub has taken to Washington. “We’ve been blessed we’ve had a long waiting
See HONOR FLIGHT page 6
Staff photo by Mary Kemper A Color Guard consisting of members of the United Veterans of St. Lucie County participated in Memorial Day ceremonies May 30 at Veterans Memorial Park, Port St. Lucie.
Remembering those who served Mary Kemper STAFF WRITER
mkemper@veteranvoiceweekly.com
Forecasted rain held off long enough for the people of St. Lucie County to observe Memorial Day ceremonies May 30 at Veterans Memorial Park, Port St. Lucie. On hand was a crowd of more than 300 veterans, family, friends and the public. The event was hosted by members of the United Veterans of St. Lucie County, including Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter 566 and the Jack Ivy Detachment of the Marine Corps League. The keynote speaker was Air Force Col. Julie Stola, who is attached to the 45th Medical Group, 45th Space Wing, Patrick Air Force Base. Stola became a registered nurse in 1986 and served in the Peace Corps before joining the Air Force. She rose to command the 45th Medical Group in 2014. Drawing on her many experiences traveling around the world, she stressed the need “for everyone, everywhere, always to remember the sacrifices that brought us the life we enjoy today. “Our country’s greatness is not measured by what we do, so much as recog-
nizing the price we’ve paid in service to our country.” She shared a quote that she thought was particularly appropriate for this event from Arthur Ashe, a renowned tennis player who had served in the U.S. Army from 1966-68: “True heroism is remarkably sober, very undramatic. It is not the urge to surpass all others at whatever cost, but the urge to serve others at whatever cost.” Another speaker was Air Force Vietnam veteran Roy Brewer, representing the United Veterans, whose emotional remarks included a tribute to Army Somalia Campaign veteran Donna Carlsen, who recently passed away. Carlsen, formerly the commander of DAV Chapter 113, Port St. Lucie, was an invaluable member of the United Veterans, and a tireless advocate for veterans during her term as St. Lucie County Veterans Services Officer. The JROTC Air Force unit from Treasure Coast High School provided a Color Guard detail, along with the United Veterans’ Color Guard. Performing Color Guard duties helps the students earn leadership and discipline
See MEMORIAL DAY page 5