A teenager in Kalamazoo, Michigan, is raising money to send Vietnam War veterans on a special trip to Washington, DC.
Fourteen-year-old Alice Kraatz said because she is worried that the deaths of veterans seem to be occurring more frequently these days, she wanted to make sure they were honored for their service to the nation before it is too late.
Kraatz, who is the state president for the Children of the American Revolution, is raising money to send the veterans on a trip to the nation’s capital to view the war memorials, according to Fox 17.
If Kraatz reaches her goal, it will be the first honor flight from Michigan comprised of only Vietnam veterans.
“So I’m raising funds to send Vietnam Veterans on an honor flight, with the intent on filling the plane,” she said, adding, “Since the Vietnam Veterans have gone through so much, that the other Veterans just can’t relate to, it’s a really powerful experience for them of healing.”
Due to their advanced age, World War II veterans are first on the list for the trips paid for by the nonprofit organization, Honor Flight Network.
“So it goes in that order: WWII, then terminally ill, then Korea, then Vietnam,” the teenager noted.
The nonprofit’s website stated that its mission is to “transport America’s veterans to Washington, D.C. to visit the memorials dedicated to honoring those who have served and sacrificed for our country.”
The site continued:
Participation in an Honor Flight trip gives veterans the opportunity to share this momentous occasion with other comrades, to remember friends and comrades lost, and share their stories and experiences with other veterans. All honored veterans travel at no cost to the veteran.
So far, Kraatz has raised over $22,000 to make her dream, and theirs, a reality.
“Honor Flights enable veterans to visit and reflect at ‘their’ monuments in Washington DC,” the fundraising website stated.
“Our Vietnam veterans were not treated with the respect they deserved when they returned from service. In the eyes of today’s young people, however, they are all heroes. The goal of the Michigan State C.A.R. Project is to honor them as the heroes they are.
Kraatz said it is imperative that the veterans make it to the capital to view the memorials.
“There aren’t many Vietnam Veterans on these honor flights. So it’s important to get a large group of them together,” she concluded.
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