Historic Mission to Honor the Greatest Generation Starts Aug. 1 – Press Release

CARSON CITY, Nev., July 4, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — On the day Americans celebrate the birth of our country’s independence and the year that marks the 80th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor, Dream Flights is announcing  tour stops for Operation September Freedom (OSF), a historic barnstorming event that will honor 1,000+ WWII heroes for preserving the very freedoms our forefathers secured upon the signing of the Declaration of Independence.

According to Dream Flights Founder Darryl Fisher, beginning Aug. 1 through Sept. 30, 2021, the nation’s largest fleet of Stearmans will land in 300-plus cities in 49 states to honor more than 1,000 members of the greatest generation signed up to receive free Dream Flights. World War II veterans like retired Brigadier General Lewis Harned, 96, who served not only in WWII, but also the Korean War and Desert Storm; Eugenia Woodward, 99, a proud member of the very first class of WAVEs; and 100 year-old Dream Flyer Armando “Chick” Galella, who survived the attack on Pearl Harbor.

Volunteer pilots and crew will fly six restored Stearmans coast to coast, beginning in Reno, Nev., Stevens Point,  Wis., Bremerton, Wash., Valparaiso, Ind., Chico, Calif. and Long Island, New York. Mid-campaign, Sept. 8, Dream Flight crews will rendezvous at the 50^th National Stearman Fly-in in Galesburg, Ill., to honor select WWII veterans with free Dream Flights. After, the crews will return to their home bases, stopping in towns along the way to honor more WWII veterans with flights.

Dream Flights is also proud to announce a new national partner,  OneDay,  a Dallas-based technology company best known for video storytelling within senior living communities. The partnership will allow the nonprofit to record and preserve for posterity Dream Flyers’ stories on video for the first time. OneDay is customizing its video app for the OSF tour and building out a training program so hundreds of Sport Clips and Dream Flights volunteers can easily record and capture Dream Flyers’ stories during this historic event.

“At OneDay, our vision is a world where no one’s story goes untold, and we are incredibly honored to partner with Dream Flights to capture and digitally preserve the important stories and memories of these WWII heroes,” said Clint Lee, co-founder and CEO of OneDay. “There’s no greater purpose of ours than storytelling. Through stories, we hope to honor our U.S. veterans and the contribution and sacrifice they’ve made to our country, while preserving their piece of history and legacy.”

During a 20-minute Dream Flight, veterans experience the freedom and exhilaration of soaring 1,000 feet in the air in an iconic Stearman biplane, the same aircraft used to train WWII aviators. Dream Flights are always free.  The nonprofit relies on corporate sponsors, donors and individual donations to support its mission. Every dollar donated supports the maintenance, fuel, and other costs directly related to operating six Stearman biplanes during a 61 day national tour. Tax-deductible donations can be made at https://dreamflights.org/donate/. Follow Dream Flights at Facebook.com/dreamflightsorg

Operation September Freedom is the nonprofit’s first mission dedicated to honoring veterans who served in a specific war, according to Fisher. The name Operation September Freedom, he said, represents the Sept. 2, 1945 signing of the Japanese Instrument of Surrender, which effectively ended WWII.

Dream Flights’ Operation September Freedom is supported by the generosity of its primary sponsor SportClips and national partners American Health Care Association/National Center for Assisted Living, Argentum, Discovery Senior Living, Veterans United Home Loans, VFW and OneDay.  American Airlines is the official airline of Dream Flights.

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SOURCE Dream Flights