U.P. Honor Flight golf fundraiser

The Gladstone Golf Club held its annual three man scramble on Saturday and Sunday. When golfers approached to the ninth green, there was a special group of people waiting for them.

For two days, veterans from the Gladstone and Rapid River American Legion Posts and members of the Marine Corps League, tended the pin on hole #9. They were raising money for the next U.P. Honor Flight- Mission Five.

The next U.P. Honor Flight is on September 17. This trip is honoring 71 veterans who all fought in the same war.

“(The trip) is going to be all World War II veterans. We thought we would take some Korean (veterans), but we have enough World War II veterans going so we are excited about that,” said Barb VanRooy, a U.P. Honor Flight Committee member.

“We think this is all about the veterans,” said Jerry Harris, the President of the Gladstone Golf Club. “We think this is a very worthwhile endeavor. If the Honor Flights continue to go to Washington D.C., we are hoping to do the same thing next year.”

“I feel great!” said Victor Majestic, a  member of the Rapid River American Legion Post 301. “This is the honor that we (the veterans) have waited for. When I came back from Korea, I had one handshake thanking me for the services that I performed for my country,” Majestic went on to say.

The U.P. Honor Flight committee is looking to take a group of Korean War veterans to Washington D.C. for Mission Six in 2014.