NEWS

Honor Flight takes off with support

R. Norman Moody
FLORIDA TODAY

Joe Cotti finally got to go on an Honor Flight.

“I’ve been trying to get to see the Korean War Memorial,” said the 87-year-old from Palm Bay. “I was wounded there. I wanted to pay my respects.”

Cotti served in the Army Air Corps, the Army and Marines.

“We are very proud of him,” his daughter-in-law Anita Cotti said.

Saturday, Joe Cotti and 25 other veterans went on an Honor Flight and saw not only the Korean War Memorial, but the WW II Memorial and other monuments that honor those who served, thanks to the generosity of individuals, companies and organizations who support Space Coast Honor Flight.

Among the many supporters are companies like Vitas Healthcare, organizations such as Classic Reflections Car Club and employees of the City of Rockledge, which recently raised $22,750 through a golf tournament for Honor Flight.

“When it came time to choose a charity, it was my turn,” City Manager Jim McKnight said. “I couldn't think of anything that would honor our veterans better than that.”

Classic Reflections Car Club has raised a similar amount to send the veterans on the trips.

“I wanted to raise money for these guys and do the best I can,” said Bill Antonetz, vice president of the car club.

Honor Flight board members said that since the early start of the Honor Flights from Brevard, Vitas has been there with volunteers and monetary support.

“They have been to every send-off we’ve had,” said Stu Glass, a board member of Space Coast Honor Flight and vice mayor of Indialantic. “There is a huge number of generous people who give to Honor Flight.”

Because of that generosity, the organization added one flight to the seven that have already taken place this year. Another seven of the one-day trips are planned for next year.

“We added a trip because we had some veterans on a waiting list for 21/2 years,” said Bill Welser, a retired Air Force three-star general who is president of Space Coast Honor Flight.

The flight Saturday included 16 World War II veterans, six Korean War veterans and three Vietnam War veterans. Among the WWII veterans were three women. The oldest veteran on the trip is 96 and the youngest 74.

All veterans are assigned a guardian for the trip.

Edith “PeeWee” Fladmark, 93, couldn't wait to get on the flight Saturday. She has wanted to visit the memorials for years.

“I've been trying to get there for a long time,” she said.

Fladmark served with the Women’s Army Corps from 1945 to 1947.

She was on the 32nd flight on which Space Coast Honor Flight has taken 825 veterans to Washington, D.C., including 175 this year, with one more flight to go. It plans a similar number of flights next year between March and October.

The Honor Flight Network, which has 132 hubs in 44 states, including the Space Coast Honor Flight, has flown 138,817 veterans to Washington as of December.

Contact Moody at 321-242-3651 or nmoody@floridatoday.com Follow on Twitter @RNormanMoody or on Facebook at facebook.com/NormanMoody

More information

For more information on contributing to, sponsoring a trip or going on a trip, contact:

Space Coast Honor Flight, Inc., P.O. Box 560975, Rockledge, FL 32955

Phone:1-888-750-2522

​ Email:info@spacecoasthonorflight.org