http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/wium/local-wium-898842.mp3
Beardstown, IL – More than two dozen Beardstown veterans will get to visit a national memorial in Washington thanks to support from their community.
Mayor Bob Walters says 26 veterans and a few guardians will get on a plane in St. Louis this Friday bound for Washington. They'll spend the day at the National World War II Memorial before flying back to St. Louis that night.
Walters says waiting lists for the Springfield and Quincy honor flights have become too long. There's currently a three year waiting list to get on a Springfield honor flight.
That's time he says veterans don't have.
"In September we had two [veterans] pass away who'd signed up to go," says Walters. "And the week after we got home, a woman who went on the flight passed away. So time is not on our side."
Walters says it took just three weeks for VFW Post 1239 to raise $30,000. He's impressed by that, but not surprised. He says Beardstown is a very close knit, patriotic community.