Olpe USD 252 is currently taking applications from Veterans interested in participating in their annual Honor Flight.
Several Greenwood County Veterans have been among the honor flights, which began at USD 252 in April 2016. Since then, a total of 14 trips and 339 Veterans have been recognized.
Olpe, a Student Guardian Honor Flight Hub, pairs Veterans up with high school students as guardians. Other Honor Flight hubs have volunteers, such as the Kansas Honor Flight that is out of Wichita. Those volunteers could be family members or other Veterans who go with the Veterans on the trip.
“Our students are fantastic and have to go through an application process. They do all the fundraising,” stated Honor Flight Teacher Coordinator Megan McGuire. Honor Flight is a non-profit that operates solely from fundraising and donations. the district doesn’t pay for the trip.
“I frequently hear from Veterans that they believe someone else deserves to go over them. Although very humbling, we believe all Veterans are deserving of this trip regardless if they were state side, abroad, in the reserves, saw action in a war location, or not. They sacrificed for our country regardless of their status and it is the least we can do to provide them this trip. It is at no cost to the Veteran,” stated McGuire.
The next Olpe USD 252 Honor Flight is slated for April 2026.
McGuire also noted that many Veterans who have gone on the trip were hesitant to go for various reasons, including some Vietnam Veterans whose experience was so traumatic that they do not want to remember it. “After the trip, they are so grateful they went and many family members reach out months later saying how healing it was for them. That is what it is all about. Honoring them for serving our country, helping them heal from their experience, and connecting them with our students. Most of them form such a bond that they talk to their students frequently and I see many of them at sporting events, graduation, etc. It is really satisfying to see those lasting connections.”
A fundraising golf scramble is held annually for the honor flight. This year, the four-man scramble will be held on Saturday, Sept. 20. For more information, email Kelsey Dunn at honorflight@ usd252.org or call 620-392-5519.
Those wishing to obtain an application can do so by visiting the VFW or The Eureka Herald. Additional details can be obtained by calling Don Scott at 620583-6398 or by emailing [email protected].
