The Villages - July 2017 - 20

While Hambright doesn't serve spaghetti these days, she still
feeds staff, guardians and veterans as part of her role. In preparation for the next flight, she prepared 96 batches of homemade
trail mix, enough for everyone flying. She also made care packages
with essentials such as sunscreen, hand sanitizer, tissues, pens
and paper.
"So many pieces have to fall into place, and it all equals lots
of work," Hambright said. "But we're here to work, to get the job
done for the veterans."
Her husband, Joe, explained that he never thought they'd become so involved with the club. He signed up with the intent to be
a one-time escort.
"I didn't think I'd be on my 34th mission and serving as vice
president of the club," he said. "But the rewards are huge."
Both Joe and Barbara's fathers served in World War II, but
passed away before the War Memorial was built.
"Doing what we do is, in a way, a tribute to our dads," Barbara
said. "It's our chance to honor them and pay a little something
back."
Before Barbara stepped into the role, Liza Walters was president of the Villages Honor Flight Club. It was 2012, and Walters
was a new resident in The Villages. She was "club shopping," joining everything to find what might stick.
Plenty of things did: golf, CERT, mah-jongg, and the World
War II history and movie clubs. The first VHFC meeting she attended was at Saddlebrook Recreation Center with eight people in
attendance.
"I thought it was a fantastic idea, very special to take these
veterans to the memorials," she said. "It was something I felt
strongly about being a part of."
Walters called the club a complex but worthy endeavor,
with so many moving parts.
"It's an emotional business. You get to know these veterans; what a privilege to hear their stories," she said.
Her first flight happened on Memorial Day in 2012
when the club was still relatively unknown.
It didn't take long for the club to take off, however.
Support came quickly as the word spread. Amazed to
see the fanfare, Walters described the scene after a
flight: a woman dressed as the Statue of Liberty and a
flock of school kids cheered at the airport.
"They waited to shake the veterans' hands and
thank them for their service," Walters said. "The
older generation tends to think the younger generation
doesn't care at all, so it was very touching."
The Changing of the Guard was captivating, Walters said of
her experience at Arlington National Cemetery.

JULY 2017

I thought it was a
fantastic idea, very special
to take these veterans
to the memorials. It was
something I felt strongly
about being a part of.
- Liza Walters

Liza
Walters

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of The Villages - July 2017