‘They never had a chance to see their monument. You’re giving them something special’: Charleston Honor Flight looks to take off

CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC) — Charleston Honor Flight is working to bring a trip of a lifetime to the Lowcountry.

Across the country, these honor flights bring veterans to Washington, D.C., to visit the memorials built in their honor, but none have taken off from the Lowcountry, and the nonprofit organization is looking to change that.

“Freedom is on the back of sacrifice. And for those veterans, all who served and sacrificed, we need to acknowledge them and thank them. They are the 1% of the nation that keeps us free,” Maj. Gen. James E. Livingston, USMC (Ret.), a Medal of Honor recipient, said.

Livingston knows what freedom costs. In Vietnam, at the Battle of Dai Do, he earned the Medal of Honor, the nation’s highest award for valor.

“We went downrange with 185 young Marines that day and that morning at 5:00, and only 35 of them walked away from the fight. The rest were either killed or wounded. We had 800 Marines up against 10,000 North Vietnamese. We had 81 Marines killed. We had 297 medevac and 176 walking wounded,” Livingston said.

Now he’s backing a new mission. Charleston Honor Flight is working to fly Lowcountry World War II, Korean War and Vietnam War veterans to Washington, D.C., for one day, at no cost.

“Start off early in the morning, fly them out of here, hopefully have a big crowd at the airport to send them off. Fly to D.C., buses pick them up, and then we go to our monuments and the final tour of Arlington National Cemetery. So, it’s very moving,” Wayne Phillips, a retired Marine colonel and member of Charleston Honor Flight’s founding board, said.

Each veteran would be joined by a trained volunteer guardian to provide support and companionship throughout the journey.

“It gives them a chance to reflect together. It strengthens them. It strengthens who we all are. And it’s money well spent because it takes them to their monument the country has dedicated to them,” Livingston said.

Because for many local veterans, they have never had this opportunity. Those who have flown say that connection matters just as much as the memorials.

“They get a chance to actually see tears in their eyes. You know, it’s very emotional, and we’re doing it for them,” Phillips said.

One flight is estimated to cost about $180,000, and the group is just taking off.

“We need volunteers. We need money. You know, and we’re just starting off. What we’d like to do eventually is build in this a robust organization that will go on for years. That we can do one or two Honor Flights a year for forever,” Phillips said. “We’re estimating it’s going to cost around $180,000 for one flight. Okay, and that goes for, you know, food, wheelchairs, chartering the plane, buses, guides, anything that you can think of. The logistics is huge, probably bigger than the operation itself.”

For Livingston, it comes down to a debt of gratitude. Supporting this mission is one way the community can say thank you to those who keep America free.

“Let’s pay our final tribute to all these older veterans by letting them go to Washington,” Livingston said.

To learn more about Charleston Honor Flight, click here.