‘Honor Flight' documentary tells story of effort to send remaining WWII veterans to National Memorial

— --

A powerful forthcoming documentary tells the story of the "Stars and Strips Honor Flights" project, in which a nonprofit group sends World War II veterans to Washington, D.C., to visit the National World War II Memorial and pay respects at Arlington National Cemetery.

The film follows the plight of Honor Flight volunteers in Wisconsin who are working to send every local veteran to the memorial at no cost to them.

About 1,000 veterans from the war die each day on average, so the group's organizers see the effort as a race against the clock. The memorial was dedicated in 2004, long after many of the war's veterans had died.

D.C.-based Freethink Media is producing the film and encouraging fans to share the video on Memorial Day weekend on social media using the hashtag #DoMore. The documentary will premiere at Miller Park in Milwaukee on Aug. 11.

"Making 'Honor Flight' has changed our lives," said director Dan Hayes. "The people we've met through the Stars and Stripes Honor Flight and the experiences they let us observe, forced us to grapple with the issues of gratitude, family and freedom in our own lives." Earlier this week, Ohio Sen. Rob Portman recognized the Ohio veterans who made the trip, and former Kansas Sen. Bob Dole is often seen at the memorial greeting the groups when they arrive.

Watch the film's trailer here: