Central Valley Honor Flight coordinator Paul Loeffler has listed the next veterans from Madera County who will receive an Honor Flight to Washington, D.C., in gratitude for their service during World War II.
The local Honor Flight project began with Madera Rotary Club President Ren Hallett and his fellow club members raising funds throughout the county to send four veterans on the original Honor Flight in October 2013. Those veterans were Ted Sanderson, J.B. Overstreet, Frank Olono and Willard Ballenger. Honor Flight No. 2 saw veteran John Rose on board the charter flight in April.
Since that initial flight, Hallett, his club, local businesses, other service clubs, the Veterans of Foreign Wars and individuals have donated $34,000 to send other veterans to the nation’s capital to view the World War II monument, other memorials and Arlington National Cemetery.
After receiving applications, the Honor Flight project listed Madera veterans Ted Grizzell, Adolfo Gutierrez, James Stiles and James Turner for flight No. 3, scheduled for this month. In September Madera veterans Paul Simonian, John Mathews and Daniel Cartago will board the charter jet to Washington...