You might have noticed a new billboard in the Spaghetti Bowl interchange in Reno. It's the newest way Honor Flight Nevada is trying to get your attention and raise awareness of their mission. That mission is getting every World War II veteran in Nevada to Washington D.C. to see the monuments that honor them. And more than 100 have signed up to go so far.
"The reality is that we are seeing as many as five veterans a day who are eligible to go," said John Yuspa, Executive Director of Honor Flight Nevada. "And the sad truth to add to that is that we are losing about two vets a week too. Time is critical."
The billboard in the Spaghetti Bowl was donated to Honor flight by YESCO.
"They called us and said they wanted to donate the space. They asked us for the artwork and it was up and running Friday," Yuspa said. "I don't know how many cars go by there in a day but it has to be thousands!"
And everyone who sees is one that may be able to help the cause. Honor Flight provides free trips to Washington for the vets. They are flown there, and put up and fed. They are transported to and from the monuments and they all of the medical needs and transportation needs are met. It's a way of saying thanks to so many who served but have never had the chance to see they were valued in service.
"It's closure to their service and it opens a whole new chapter to friends and family that didn't even know they served," Yuspa said. "Some vets talk about this being one of the single greatest days of their lives."
Yuspa has had 45 tickets donated from Southwest Airlines. He's trying to raise the money for the hotel rooms and the ground transportation with a plan to take the first Honor Flight out of Reno this September.
For more information you can contact him at (775)323-9955. You can find more information online at www.honorflightnv.org
Written by Erin Breen
