Second group of veterans make D.C. trip

By Justin Averette (Contact) | Shelby County Reporter

Published Tuesday, July 8, 2008

Some of the county's finest traveled to Washington, D.C. this week to visit a national memorial made in their honor.

A company of local World War II veterans, including nine from Shelby County, toured the National Mall on Wednesday.

Honor Flight Birmingham sponsored the daylong sightseeing trip.

It was the second such outing for the nonprofit group, which flies veterans to D.C. to see war monuments. The group also took about three dozen veterans to Washington during its inaugural flight back in April.

Pam Nichols and Amy McDonald cofounded the local chapter of Honor Flight after hearing about the organization on the news. Nichols works for Noland Health Services in North Shelby County and McDonald is a teacher at Shades Valley High School.

Shelby County veterans who made the July 9 flight are Paul Williams of Hoover, Navy; Donald Hogue of Montevallo, Army; Richard Paxton of Pelham, Navy; Thomas Collier of Riverchase, Army; Dewitt Stewart of Shelby, Army; Jessy Aycock of North Shelby County, Army Air Corps; Aubrey Franklin of North Shelby County, Navy, Army and Air Force; Frances Phelps of Wilsonville, Navy; and Fred McCrory of Hoover, Marines.

For more information, visit honorflightbirmingham.com or call 714-3156 or 408-0197.

Future flights are scheduled for September and November.