Randolph Savings honors vets with Flight program
Randolph Savings Bank Board of Directors Chairman Lou Trobano appeared on Boston Herald Radio’s “Morning Meeting” program yesterday to give an update on the Honor Flight New England program for vets that the bank is promoting through its foundation:
Q: We’re coming up to a deadline in terms of families that want to be on an Honor Flight. What can you tell us about that?
A: There’s probably about 14,000 (Bay State World War II vets) who haven’t been on an Honor Flight and we’re trying to locate them . ... The bank is underwriting a flight this spring and we would like to get as many World War II veterans as possible to go. We’re reaching out to the community. If you know a World War II vet, it might be the guy next door living alone, let us know about it because we would like to get them down there to see the recognition that’s been built in the honor.
Q: You are primarily focusing on World War II veterans and veterans who are terminally ill and the main idea is to make sure these folks have a chance to do this amazing trip and to get the recognition that they don’t look for. Is that right?
A: They describe it as one of the best days of their life . ... I think the most important thing for all of them is just to be able to let it go. Their families have told us that they come back different because they finally have had the opportunity to let it go . ... We’re often told they come back different people.
Q: What’s the reaction from these vets who you’ve provided with this sort of end-of-life opportunity to do something that really means a lot to them?
A: Many of them have put aside their emotions and their war experiences for the past 60 or 70 years and have never talked about it. And this trip provides the opportunity, first of all, for us to recognize them, to say thank you for what they did, because if they didn’t come home right away, they never got their welcome home. And it also provides them with the opportunity to speak about their war experiences — sometimes for the first time — with the only people who truly understand, those who were in harm’s way with them.
Q: How can people get involved?
A: People can call Randolph Savings Bank and we’ll mail out some applications. We will be accepting applications until Dec. 29. Applications can also be handed in at any Randolph Savings Bank location.