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The 91-year-old Army veteran had been to three continents, traveling by land and by sea but never by air.
Warsaw resident Steve Paege has taken trains across the U.S. and crossed the Pacific and Atlantic oceans by ship but had never been on an airplane until last month. Paege’s first trip: to Washington, D.C., to see the National World War II Memorial.
“I wasn’t nervous. I wasn’t sick or nothing. I really enjoyed it. I even ate breakfast on the plane,” Paege said.
It’s veterans like Paege who benefit from the generosity of Honor Flight Northeast Indiana, a non-profit organization devoted to giving World War II veterans one-day excursions to see the memorial in their honor.
And Honor Flight is benefiting from the generosity of some local high school students.
The Interact clubs at Northrop and Leo high schools are raising money to send four veterans to Washington through the program. It costs about $875 to send one veteran on the day trip, and each school is raising money for two.
Leo’s club has already raised its money by charging students to park at school, Principal Mark Daniel said. Northrop is hosting a benefit tonight at B. Antonio’s Pizza, 5417 Meijer Drive, where 20 percent of each order will go to Honor Flight.
Each school’s donation goes to the Anthony Wayne Rotary Club, which will present the money to Honor Flight at its Dec. 9 meeting.
The Interact Clubs at both Allen County high schools strive to complete community-service projects and resolve issues within the school.
Leo students offered their advice to Daniel on creating more safety in the parking lot and how to instill more sportsmanship in the student body.
Members of Northrop’s club recently packed boxes with school supplies, toys, soap and candy to send to children in Third World countries as part of Operation Christmas Child.
Both schools participate in CANstruction, a local competition where students build structures out of canned goods to raise awareness of the hungry.
“It’s a great way to give back to the community and gets you involved and makes you feel like you really belong to your community and you have a place in it,” Northrop senior Allison Holt said.
While in Washington, Paege visited Arlington National Cemetery and met retired senators Bob Dole and his wife, Elizabeth Dole.
“That was the only plane ride I ever took and went to Washington, D.C., and came back and never been on another flight since,” Paege said.
