Honor Flight Savannah CELEBRATES Veterans
With More Than a Thank-You
story by MICAH PEPPERS photos by SUSAN DELOACH
This past spring, volunteers gathered at Johnson Creek Tavern on St. Helena Island armed with ladders, scrapers, and buckets. Their mission was simple: Remove thousands of dollar bills from the restaurant’s walls and ceilings.
Generations of patrons have left signed bills behind, transforming the tavern into a living scrapbook of names, memories, and messages. But every few years, those bills take on a much larger purpose. Eighteen Marines from Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort and two Navy dental technicians from Parris Island volunteered through the Single Marine and Sailor Program to help remove the bills. By the end of the day, what had started as a quirky restaurant tradition had raised approximately $8,000 for Honor Flight Savannah, an all-volunteer organization dedicated to honoring veterans by taking them to visit the memorials in Washington, DC, built in recognition of their service.
For Honor Flight Savannah board member Jim Weiskopf, the partnership reflects exactly what the organization is about and says the mission is remarkably simple: “Supporting Honor Flight Savannah is supporting veterans. It is not political. It is patriotic. It is a tangible way to say, ‘Thank you — while we still can.’”
That mission has guided Honor Flight Savannah since its founding in 2008. Led by Chairman Larry Spears, the organization serves veterans throughout coastal Georgia and the South Carolina Lowcountry, including many from Beaufort, Bluffton, Hilton Head, and surrounding communities. Since its first trip, Honor Flight Savannah has completed 31 journeys to the nation’s capital, honoring 693 veterans. Including guardians, medical staff, photographers, and volunteers, more than 2,100 people have participated in those trips.
The organization traces its roots to a national movement that began shortly after the completion of the World War II Memorial in Washington. Volunteer pilots in Ohio began flying World War II veterans to the Capitol so they could see the memorial dedicated to their generation’s sacrifice. This eventually grew into the Honor Flight Network, with hubs across the country.
In the early years, most participants were World War II veterans. As those veterans aged, the focus gradually shifted to Korean War veterans. Today, nearly all participants are Vietnam veterans. The most recent Honor Flight Savannah trip, held May 15–17, was comprised entirely of Vietnam-era veterans. Many of these veterans share something in common beyond their military service. Unlike previous generations, they often returned home from war without the celebrations, gratitude, and recognition that greet service members today. “Honor Flight trips provide the ‘thank you for your service’ and ‘welcome home’ that many of these veterans never received 50-plus years ago,” Weiskopf said.
Applications arrive from across the region, often submitted by family members who believe a parent or grandparent deserves the opportunity. Veterans provide proof of service and medical information, while guardians — many of them sons, daughters, relatives, or close friends —
volunteer to accompany them on the trip. Unlike the veterans, who travel completely free of charge, guardians pay their own way. Medical personnel, photographers, and trip leaders also volunteer their time and cover their expenses, allowing donations to remain focused on honoring veterans.
The evening before departure, veterans and guardians gather for a welcome dinner. For many, it is the first opportunity to meet fellow participants. The next morning begins with a send-off. “Of all the locations we have used as departure cities over the years, Beaufort has been the most welcoming! We were particularly elated to have more than 120 elementary school students from two Beaufort County schools join us for the departure ceremony for the most recent trip,” states Weiskopf. In Beaufort, veterans have been escorted by the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office and members of the Patriot Guard Riders as they begin their journey north.
The trip itself is carefully planned. Veterans spend two nights near Washington, DC, and devote an entire day to visiting some of the nation’s most meaningful military memorials. Stops typically include the World War II Memorial, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, the Korean War Veterans Memorial, the Marine Corps War Memorial, the Air Force Memorial, the Navy Memorial, Arlington National Cemetery, the Women in Military Service for America Memorial, and the Disabled American Veterans Memorial. Each memorial carries significance, but certain moments consistently leave a lasting impression. Weiskopf mentions two specific examples. “Probably the changing of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknowns at Arlington National Cemetery or seeing the name of a friend at the Vietnam Memorial.”
For many veterans, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial becomes an especially emotional experience. The veterans see names etched into black granite, often bringing back memories or sharing stories. “Nostalgia,” Weiskopf said when describing what he observes during the visits, “talking to other veterans on the trip about something triggered by a specific memorial.”
After years of involvement with Honor Flight, Weiskopf has witnessed countless meaningful moments. One memory, however, remains unforgettable. Before moving to Beaufort, he and his wife volunteered with groups that welcomed arriving Honor Flight participants at Washington-area airports. During one arrival, a World War II veteran in a wheelchair was greeted by a former Army nurse. “When she bent down to give this particular veteran a hug, he saw the locket she was wearing,” Weiskopf recalled. The veteran remarked that the nurse who cared for him after he was wounded on D-Day wore an identical locket. To their astonishment, they soon realized they had met before. “It turned out that this greeter was his nurse,” Weiskopf said. “They had a tearful reunion some 50-plus years later.”
Few communities understand military service quite like Beaufort. Home to Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island, Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort, and thousands of veterans, the area has long embraced organizations that support those who have served. Weiskopf believes that community connection is one reason Honor Flight Savannah has found such strong support throughout the Lowcountry. “Beaufort is unique,” he said. “We would not describe Beaufort as a military town, but it is a community where military roots run deep.” That support appears in many forms — from volunteers preparing meals and organizing departure ceremonies to local schoolchildren showing up to cheer veterans as they begin their journey.
It also appears in places like Johnson Creek Tavern, where thousands of signed dollar bills become something far more meaningful than decoration. Every bill removed from the restaurant’s walls helps fund another trip. Every volunteer hour helps another veteran participate. When veterans return home, they are often exhausted but grateful. More importantly, they return with something many never received decades ago. “America cares,” Weiskopf said. For him, that simple message captures the purpose of Honor Flight better than any statistic ever could. He often recalls a statement from Ken Fisher, chairman and CEO of Fisher House Foundation: “Thank you for your service is not enough.”
Honor Flight Savannah transforms those words into action. Rather than simply expressing gratitude, the volunteers, donors, businesses, and community members work together to ensure veterans receive the recognition they earned. And sometimes, that journey begins with a dollar bill stapled to a tavern wall.
