Yes we ‘can’, says VFW post
News editor
It takes thousands of recycled aluminum cans to cover the cost of an honor flight for a military veteran to visit their war’s memorial in Washington, District of Columbia, and Warren Vincent of McPherson has collected enough to send about 70 Kansas veterans on such flights.
Vincent’s flag-bedecked collection trailer once made regular stops in Marion and Hillsboro, but now that he’s scaled back his operation, Marion VFW Post No. 6958 has stepped up to keep the aluminum flowing and the veterans flying.
Members built a permanent collection site on the west side of the post’s home at 420 W. Santa Fe St. where people can drop off aluminum cans any time of the day or night for Vincent to pick up.
“He’s had to just sit there and wait, and now he doesn’t have to,” post commander Warren Kreutziger said. “It’s just much handier now.”
The drop-off point is simple and convenient, Kreutziger said.
“It’s just a fenced-in area and has containers where they can throw cans in,” he said. “It’s handiest if they bring them in trash bags and set them in there.”
Vincent said the drop-off point will make life easier for him and donors.
“There’s already cans piling up,” he said. “I think it will be a big difference because people won’t have to wait for me to show up. Marion’s been good to us. Every time we came over there we pretty much filled the trailer up.”
Vincent said all his collections this year have been enough to pay the $700 fee for 21 veterans.
The original impetus for the instigation of honor flights was an to give a rapidly declining group of World War II veterans, but that has changed over time.
“Most WWII vets have either passed away or can’t do the trip anymore,” Kreutziger said. “It’s still open to WWII vets if they can make it. Now they’re concentrating on Korean War and Vietnam vets.”
Information about Kansas Honor Flights is available online at www.kansashonorflight.org.
Last modified Oct. 25, 2017