“A Band of Brothers”… men who served together through thick and thin on the shores of Normandy…on the water during the Battle of Midway…and in the air during the attack on Pearl Harbor.

They have been called “The Greatest Generation” and rightly so because of the sacrifice, honor and bravery they showed during the darkest days of World War II.

And to show appreciation for these men, Campbell’s Hardware and Sporting Goods in Robertsdale had a special “meet and greet” Memorial Day weekend event on Friday, May 27 to honor those veterans who gave so much in America’s freedom fight.

From 9-11 a.m., those who visited the store got to talk to these veterans and enjoy some refreshments, plus a portion of the profits from the day’s sales went toward funding the “Honor Flight South Alabama” program that takes WWII veterans to Washington D.C. free of charge to visit the memorial built in their honor.

“Honor Flight is a wonderful organization that recognizes the dedication and sacrifice of our veterans and offers them a small thank you for their service. My father, William Leslie Wingo, served in the Army and was a World War II veteran, so this program holds special meaning for me,” said owner Nelson Wingo.

Many local heroes from the community who had been on the last flight were on hand to talk about their experiences including Tom McClellan and Clay Oleson who entertained the crowd with renditions of the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine anthems on the accordion and harmonica. Others in attendance were Alto Brill, Wally Saban, Elvin Flowers, Jerry Statska and Foy Headon.

Supporting the honor flight program since 2009, Wingo has sponsored veterans and donated items for various raffles throughout the years and this is the fifth time they have helped to raise money for this cause. However, this is the first time an event at the store has been held to help the organization.

“We have been very successful in working with this worthy program and are excited to do it again this time,” said Wingo.

The WWII Memorial was built and dedicated in 2004 in Washington, D.C, nearly 60 years after the end of the war, and the Honor Flight program got its wings in 2005 when retired Air Force Captain Earl Morse, who was also a physicians’s assistant, decided to start taking veterans to see the memorial.

According to the Honor Flight website, The first flights consisted on six small planes and 12 veterans flying from Springfield, Ohio and by 2006, the waiting lists were growing and the commercial airlines began to get on board with the idea . Partnering with Honor Air in Hendersonville, North Carolina and Hero Flight in Provo, Utah, the “Honor Flight Network” was born and began expanding to other cities.

Honor Flight South Alabama was founded by the South Alabama Veteran’s Council and because it’s a non-profit agency, it counts on donations from the community and individuals to keep it going. Several donation levels are available from the “Medal of Honor “level ($25,000) to the “Grateful Supporter” level ($249 and under).

Five flights have been completed since May, 2009, one in the Fall and one in the Spring, with U.S. Air being the official carrier, and to date, 468 veterans have been able to go, according to Dr. Barry Booth, one of the directors for the program.

Any WWII veteran is eligible for the trip, free of charge, just by filling out an application and being selected on a first-come, first serve basis, with top priority given to those with terminal illnesses or last chances. Selection is also based on availability of support needs for the veteran. Leaving early in the morning from Mobile and returning later that night, the day is full as the veterans visit the memorial, eat lunch and return home.

“This is open to all branches of the service and we usually take between 85 to 95 veterans on each flight with us plus the ‘guardians’ and medical personnel who travel with us. Most of them are around 85 to 90 years old. We do have one veteran who is 100 who has applied to go as well. The people in Washington are great. When we land at Reagan (International Airport) they always have a reception for us and pull out all the stops. There are so many people who come out to welcome us. It’s amazing,” Booth said.

Also expressing thanks to Campbell’s for hosting the event, Booth said “We are so excited to be able to do this and provide flights for our veterans. So many people are supportive of our efforts with he Honor Flights and we look forward to being able to have another flight in September.”

Aaron Daniels, a resident of Robertsdale and one of “guardians” who has been on all five flights, said he got involved when he saw a press release for an event at the Battleship and being friends with Dr. Booth, he was invited to go and filled out an application to be a guardian.

“I am so blessed to have been able to go on all the flights. I just love these veterans and it is such a privilege to be able to help them out,” Daniels said.

Guardians must fill out an application and pay for their own flight ($485) and other expenses. They must be able to fulfill the duties of caring for the veterans and making sure they have a safe an memorable experience. Duties include assisting the veterans at the airport, during the flight and at the memorials.

As an added bonus, the veterans are also met with many letters and pictures on their return drawn and written by area school students. “Mobile and Baldwin County schools participate in this and pick a veteran to write a letter and draw a picture for. Then when they return, there is a mail call and they can read the letters the kids have written them. It’s really a neat thing to experience,” Booth said.

Ken Kollar, who was on Honor Flight Five, and lives in Foley, was very surprised at all the letters he received. “I felt like I was at the post office. I received 31 letters and it was so sweet of them to do that for me.”

For more information about the Honor Flights or to get an online application for a veteran or a guardian, go to www.honorflightsa.com. or email support@honorflightsa.com. To make a donation, mail to: Honor Flight South Alabama, P.O. Box 7406, Spanish Fort, Al 36577