THAT PROFILE.
ADAM: RIGHT NOW, IT IS ESTIMATED
THERE ARE ABOUT 800,000 WORLD
WAR II VETERANS STILL ALIVE IN
THE UNITED STATES.
UNFORTUNATELY, THEY ARE PASSING
AT A RATE OF ALMOST 500 A DAY.
BUT ONE NEW HAMPSHIRE-BASED
ORGANIZATION WORKS TO ENSURE
THOSE GREATEST GENERATION VETS
KNOW HOW MUCH THEY ARE
APPRECIATED.
AND THEY RECENTLY GOT A BIG HAND
FROM A BEDFORD HIGH SCHOOL
SENIOR.
ON A VISIT TO THE WORLD WAR II
MEMORIAL IN WASHINGTON A FEW
YEARS AGO, BEDFORD HIGH SCHOOLER
NICK CANNONE CAME FACE-TO-FACE
WITH LIVING HISTORY.
>> I WAS JUST TOURING, I WAS
WITH MY MOM, AND WE ENCOUNTERED
AN HONOR FLIGHT.
I THINK THEY WERE FROM IOWA, AND
JUST THE EXPERIENCE OF BEING AT
THE MONUMENT WITH THE WORLD WAR
II VETERANS WAS JUST SUCH A
MOVING EXPERIENCE.
ADAM: IT INSPIRED NICK TO RAISE
MONEY AND AWARENESS FOR HONOR
FLIGHT NEW ENGLAND, AN EFFORT
THAT BECAME HIS SENIOR PROJECT.
HE SOLD WRIST BANDS AND DREW THE
ATTENTION OF HIS LOCAL PAPER,
EVENTUALLY BRINGING IN AROUND
$3,000.
>> WHEN THEY HEAR ABOUT THIS
CAUSE, PEOPLE ARE SO INTERESTED
'CAUSE THEY REALIZE THIS IS A
CAUSE THAT'S TRULY SO WORTHWHILE
AND SO IMPORTANT TO BE ABLE TO
SHOW THESE VETERANS HOW GRATEFUL
AND HOW THANKFUL EVERYONE STILL
IS, EVEN AFTER ALL THESE YEARS,
FOR THEIR EFFORTS.
ADAM: LAST SUNDAY, NICK WAS ON
BOARD FOR HONOR FLIGHT NEW
ENGLAND'S 46TH TRIP TO D.C.,
HELPING TO BRING GREATEST
GENERATION SERVICEMEN AND WOMEN
TO SEE THE WORLD WAR II
MEMORIAL.
ORGANIZATION FOUNDER JOE BYRON
IS THANKFUL FOR NICK'S
FUNDRAISING, BUT HE SAYS THE
INTEREST IN VETERANS IS WHAT'S
IMPORTANT.
>> WELL, HE'S DEFINITELY SHOWN
THAT IT'S MORE THAN JUST ABOUT
HIMSELF.
IT'S ABOUT OTHERS, AND THAT'S A
GREAT QUALITY TO HAVE AS A
YOUNGER PERSON.
ADAM: NICK SAYS LAST WEEKEND'S
'SENTIMENTAL VOYAGE' WAS
UNFORGETTABLE AND INDESCRIBABLE.
THE GRATITUDE AND LOVE SHOWN TO
THE VETERANS BY COMPLETE
STRANGERS WAS OVERWHELMING.
AND WHILE HONOR FLIGHT GOES
ABOVE AND BEYOND, HE SAYS THE
GREATEST GENERATION REMAINS AS
HUMBLE AS EVER.
>> THEY MAKE THE VETERANS FEEL
LIKE THE HEROES THEY ARE, WHICH
IS AWESOME.
AND THE FUNNY THING ABOUT IT IS
YOU TALK TO THEM, YOU ASK THEM
HOW THEIR DAY IS GOING, AND THEY
TELL YOU I DON'T DESERVE ANY OF
THIS, I'M JUST A NORMAL PERSON,
WHY SHOULD I BE REWARDED LIK
THIS?
AND JUST THAT REACTION IS PART
OF WHAT MAKES THEM SO AMAZING.
ADAM: AS GREATEST GENERATION
VETERANS HIT THEIR MID 90'S,
HONOR FLIGHT HAS BEEN ADDING
KOREAN WAR VETS TO ITS TRIPS.
FOUNDERS EXPECT SOMETIME THIS
YEAR WILL BE THE LAST NEW
ENGLAND HONOR FLIGHT WITH A
MAJORITY OF WORLD WAR II
VETERANS.
THEY WILL BE CHANGING OVER.
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