Since the story of the Show-Me Honor Flight last week, an estimated 7,000 World War II veterans have died.

The World War II Memorial located next to the Washington Monument honors the 400,000 who died and the 16 million who served.

"They were going through the lines saying we're going to the top boys wanting volunteers," World War II veteran Otis Thomas said.

The group of 32 veterans also stopped at the Iwo Jima Memorial - the first place an American flag ever flew over Japanese territory.

"I'm real bitter about it. We didn't have to take it. Just a slaughter was all it was. There was boys so thick you couldn't walk," Thomas said.

Honor Flight officials are grateful for these veterans.

"That was their youth that they gave up a huge part of their life. For them to go back now and see their memorials for what their efforts did. We'd be conducting this interview in German now had it not been for these guys," Honor Flight co-organizer Charlie Thomas said.

It sounded like an insurmountable task. Raise more than $40,000 in four months during an economic crisis to send a group of veterans to Washington, D.C. to see their war memorials. When the large corporate sponsors said no, many more people said yes.

"Four months we raised enough for two flights. That's incredible," Honor Flight co-organizer Pame Burlingame said.

It was an incredible west central Missouri fundraising effort that Charlie Thomas and Pame Burlingame helped get off the ground.

"The lion's share of that came from just ordinary citizens," Charlie Thomas said.

Ordinary citizens who listen to Charlie's KDRO morning radio show know that as a veteran of the war in Iraq himself, he talked about the more than 1,000 World War II veterans who die each day and the effort to fly them to see their war memorial.

People felt compelled to write. They told stories of lost loved ones, and veterans who died before they got the chance to see their memorial. They sent in checks in memory of their soldiers and decided to forego Father's Day presents.

"I would give anything in the world to see my father with these guys," Charlie Thomas said.

Charlie's father, also a World War II veteran, died in 1985. Pame Burlingame's father passed in 2002. But their fathers were still with them on this flight, holding a place of honor on their sleeves.

"I think he'd say way to go, Charlie," Charlie Thomas said.

"My first response is thank you for saving the world, and it's my pleasure to do this for you," Burlingame said.

There are veterans here in mid-Missouri who would like to see their memorial but can't afford the airfare.

Since the first report, a new group has formed called the "Central Missouri Honor Flight".

The volunteers said don't wait to get in touch with them because Missouri's share of those departing World War II veterans is around 20 a day.

To donate to Central Missouri Honor Flight:
KOMU-TV
c/o Central Mo. Honor Flight
5550 Highway 63 South
Columbia, Mo. 65201

To donate to Sedalia Area Show Me Honor Flight:  
PO BOX 1935
Sedalia, MO  65302

For information:

Charlie Thomas
charlie@KDRO.Com
660-826-5005

Centralmissourihonorflight@yahoo.com

Sarah Hill  (573) 884-6397
Sarahhill@KOMU.com