“We want to get it right. Stars and Stripes Honor Flight has the groundwork for a great organization, and we just want to learn from the best.” Talons Out Honor Flight President and co-founder Bobbie Bradley talks about a planned trip to Port Washington, Wisconsin on July 26, 2013.
Some of the Talons Out Crew
The Talons Out founding board and several “crew members,” the name for Talons Out volunteers, will travel to the Stars and Stripes Honor Flight hub for a day-long “Boot Camp” with members of the Wisconsin Honor Flight Hub.
Talons Out Treasurer and co-founder Connie Leeth says the trip will help lay the foundation for an October Honor Flight out of Southwest Michigan. “Stars and Stripes has taken dozens of flights to Washington, D.C. They know what they’re doing. We want to learn everything we can from them so we can better serve our World War II Veterans here in Southwest Michigan.”
This is the first event of its kind for Stars and Stripes. “They were surprised we thought of it,” Bradley says. “Their marketing person Renee Riddle said she loved the idea, and they couldn’t wait to meet us.”
The Talons Out group will also have the honor of a lunch meeting with Stars and Stripes ambassadors Harvey Kurz and Joe Demler. Kurz and Demler play a crucial role in the promotion and fundraising efforts for the Wisconsin hub. In Honor Flight: The Movie the pair of World War II Veterans steal the show with their stories and dedication to the Honor Flight cause. “We’re so happy to meet with Joe and Harvey,” Vice-President and co-founder Dan Moyle says. “First, they’re just good guys and we want to thank them for everything they’ve done. But we also want to learn from them the key to spreading the Honor Flight message and how to gain the support of our community.”
The Talons Out crew will leave from the Portage area Friday, July 26 around 5:00pm. They will return home Sunday, July 28 with the plan to get to work on the October-planned Honor Flight.
Original news release: Talons Out to Study Under Stars and Stripes Honor Flight
Southwest Michigan's Honor Flight: Talons Out 