Founding Fathers Story
The national World War II Memorial in Washington D.C. was finally completed in May of 2004, 59 years after the wars conclusion. The dedication was televised and it quickly became the topic of discussion among his World War II veteran.
Earl Morse, a physician assistant and Retired Air Force Captain. Earl wanted to honor the veterans he had taken care of for the past 27 years. After retiring from the Air Force in 1998, Earl was hired by the Department of Veterans Affairs to work in a small clinic in Springfield, Ohio near Wright Patterson AFB. Earl repeatedly asked these veterans if they would ever travel out to visit THEIR memorial. Most felt that maybe eventually, but unlikely. They may make it to D.C., perhaps only with a family member or friend.
As summer turned to fall and then winter, these same veterans returned to the clinic for their follow-up visits. Earl asked if they accomplished their dream of visiting the World War II Memorial. By now, for most of the veterans he asked, reality had settled in; it was clear to most that it simply wasn’t financially or physically possible for them to make the journey. Earl personally took some of the veterans to the memorial with his pilot buddies from Wright Patterson AFB fulfill their veterans dream. This trip also made national news and created the Honor Flight Network program and hubs across the country.