Co-ops Honor WWII Veterans
WASHINGTON, DC
In May, Kentucky Living ran an article about the Honor Flight Network, an organization that flies veterans to Washington, D.C., at no cost to them, allowing the vets to see the memorials created in their honor.
The story ignited a sequence of events that led to another flight, this one sponsored by the 16 Touchstone Energy distribution co-ops that are members of East Kentucky Power Cooperative. That co-op-sponsored flight started with Mary Beth Nance, member services manager at Fleming-Mason Energy Cooperative based in Flemingsburg, who was so moved by the Kentucky Living cover story that she made a donation. Friend Roberta Skinner, audio-visual resource specialist at East Kentucky Power Cooperative, based in Winchester, saw Nance’s name listed among the donors.
“What a great program,” they agreed. “We want to put a plane in the air, too,” they again agreed. Skinner went to Kevin Osbourn, manager of communications at East Kentucky Power, and they each talked with manager of member services Jeff Hohman, who sent an e-mail asking if the 16 East Kentucky Power Co-op owner-members wanted to sponsor some veterans. All 16 said yes.
Five months later, 29 veterans had a day no one will forget.
The day was filled with surprises, and at each step, people saluted the veterans and thanked them for their service.
Every detail was attended to, but some could never have been arranged, such as an encounter between veteran Forest Sparrow and a young man from Belgium.
“At the World War II Memorial we went to the Battle of the Bulge area since Mr. Sparrow fought in that battle,” Skinner recalls. “We were getting ready to take a photograph when a young man ran up. ‘Were you in the Battle of the Bulge?’ he asked. When Sparrow answered yes, the young man said, ‘You saved my country. I cannot believe I have met an American who was in the Battle of the Bulge. Oh, thank you. Thank you so much.’”
It turned out that during the war, Sparrow was hospitalized in Liege, Belgium—the very place the young man now lives.
East Kentucky Power Co-op is planning another Honor Flight for spring 2012.
For more information on the program or to help sponsor a veteran, go to www.honorflightbluegrass.org.
