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View Honor Flight Rochester 2000 Veterans Flown Milestone in Full Page View
See also article on Time Warner Cable News Website here:
http://www.twcnews.com/nys/rochester/news/2015/10/4/honor-flight-rochester.html
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Honor Flight Rochester Announces Peter Glennon Chairman of the Board
Click on the following links to see media coverage from local news outlets:
13WHAMTV Coverage 12.06.13:
http://www.13wham.com/news/features/top-stories/stories/new-chairman-honor-flight-rochester-7932.shtml
WHEC-TV 10 Coverage, 12.06.13:
http://www.whec.com/news/stories/S3237225.shtml?cat=565
YNN 9 Coverage, 12.06.13:
http://rochester.ynn.com/content/news/707946/honor-flight-names-new-chairman/
Brighton Pittsford Post, 12.06.13:
http://brighton-pittsford.whec.com/news/news/255411-honor-flight-rochester-elects-new-chairman
Rochester, NY — The Honor Flight Rochester, Inc. (HFR) board of directors has elected Major Peter J. Glennon chairman of Honor Flight Rochester. He fills the position vacated by Col. Edwin “Woody” Mench, who recently passed away. Major Glennon is one of the founders of HFR, which is a hub in the national Honor Flight Network.
“Being elected chairman of the board of Honor Flight Rochester is a great honor,” said Major Glennon, who in his civilian life is a Rochester litigation attorney and Counsel to Calihan Law PLLC. “I appreciate the trust placed in me by Honor Flight Rochester, particularly by board members Jeff Gould and Rich Stewart. I look forward to our organization continuing its mission of expressing gratitude to our veterans by taking them to Washington D.C. to visit their memorials.”
“Peter’s vision and ability to make things happen are why he will be an excellent chairman,” said Honor Flight Rochester President Richard Stewart. “His passion helped bring Honor Flight Rochester from an initial flight five years ago to become one of the leading hubs in the country today.” HFR has taken 1,492 veterans on 32 Honor Flight trips.
Glennon co-founded HFR in 2008. He formed the HFR corporate entity, provides legal counsel, and has been a long-time member of the board of directors and leadership team. As chairman, he is responsible for creating and setting the agenda for the HFR board of directors, which provides vision and strategy for HFR operations. The chairman also provides oversight of the organization’s administrative and operational functions and works with HFR president Rich Stewart and corporate officers to achieve stated goals and accomplish the organization’s mission. No member of the board, officer, or volunteer receives any compensation from HFR.
Glennon has long been involved with the community. A graduate of Leadership Rochester, he has been recognized by the Rochester Business Journal with its “Forty Under 40” award and acknowledged as an “Up & Coming Attorney” by The Daily Record. He has also received several recognitions for providing pro bono legal services in the greater Rochester area and has been named a “Super Lawyer” by Thomson Reuters.
Glennon has served in the armed forces for nearly 23 years. Before earning his commission, he started in the enlisted ranks in 1991 and currently serves with the 107th Airlift Wing, Niagara Falls ARS, New York Air National Guard. He has served in the Judge Advocate General Corps and as a squadron commander of the 107th Logistics Readiness Squadron.
He is also a member of the Board of Trustees for the Monroe County Bar Association, a member of the New York State Bar Association’s Committee on Veterans Affairs, a member of the American Legion Rayson-Miller Post #899 in Pittsford, and is a member of the Rochester Rotary Club.
He and his wife Kimberly reside in Pittsford, NY with their twins Madeline and Pierson, and son Holden.
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HFR Announces Richard Stewart as New President
Click on the link below to open the article that appeared in the D&C on 11.18.13:
Rich Stewart D&C Article
Rochester, NY — The Honor Flight Rochester board of directors has named Richard “Rich” Stewart as president of Honor Flight Rochester (HFR). He is the fourth president of HFR. He has been a member of the HFR board since 2010 and has been involved since the inaugural HFR mission in 2008.
“My father, aunt and uncle were World War II veterans who passed away long before the World War II Memorial was built. They never got to see it. I wish they could have. Participating in Honor Flight Rochester is a way for me to say thank you to all the veterans for all they did so many years ago,” Stewart said.
“Rich is a long-time volunteer and is very knowledgeable of the population that we serve, and an experienced executive who can only assist in making our great organization that much better,” said HFR board member Peter J. Glennon, Esq.
Stewart retired from Legacy Senior Communities as an executive director. He also held management positions with Motorola, Aramark and Genesee Hospital. The Princeton, NJ native earned a B.S. degree from Cornell University and a MBA from New York University. He and his wife Lin met when they both attended Cornell University. The Stewarts reside in Penfield, NY. They have two daughters, both Cornell University graduates. Before settling in Penfield, the Stewarts lived in New York City, Chicago, Phoenix and in the Hudson Valley region of New York State.
In addition to volunteering with HFR, he is also an active volunteer with the Cornell Club of Rochester-director at large and Penfield Chamber of Commerce – board of directors. Previously, he served as president of the Brighton Kiwanis Club.
HFR has now escorted 1,492 WWII, Korean and Vietnam War veterans from Western NY to visit their Memorials in Washington D.C. More than 400 veterans are waiting for an HFR trip. HFR will resume taking veterans on an Honor Flight in the spring of 2014.
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Honor Flight Rochester Woody Mench Statement
See also Daily Messenger article from 11.13.13 at the link below:
Daily Messenger Article From 11.13.13
Honor Flight Rochester Co-Founder Col. Edwin E. Mench Passes Away
Organization and local veterans lose a friend
ROCHESTER, NY – United States Air Force Col. (Ret.) Edwin E. “Woody” Mench had a passion for the military and all veterans. He was especially concerned for veterans being remembered for their service and sacrifices. So when the opportunity arose to set up an Honor Flight hub in Rochester, Col. Mench volunteered. The co-founder of the Honor Flight Rochester (HFR) hub passed away Thursday, Nov. 7.
“We are saddened by the loss of our president and chairman, Edwin “Woody” Mench,” said HFR board member Peter J. Glennon, Esq. “We certainly are a much better community with Woody having been with us. The veterans who have taken an Honor Flight with us lost a buddy who they may not have known they had. But he knew about them.”
“Woody’s first concern for the organization was always about us making the veteran’s trip as special as we could,” said John Burns, vice president for operations, HFR.
In July 2008, Col. Mench co-founded HFR, which is a hub in the national Honor Flight Network.
Col. Mench served as its first treasurer, third president and chairman of the board of directors.
“What an honor to be selected as president of Honor Flight Rochester,” Col. Mench said in 2011 when he was named president. “I have a passion for what we do and the audience we serve. I really believe we (Rochester) are well at the top of the 100 hubs.”
HFR has now escorted 1,492 WWII, Korean and Vietnam War veterans from Western NY to visit their Memorials in Washington D.C. More than 400 veterans are waiting for an HFR trip. In 2012, Col. Mench helped Honor Flight Syracuse launch its program.
Col. Mench was born in Philadelphia, PA. He received his B.S. degree in Business Administration from Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, PA. He also received a commission in the USAF through the Reserve Officers Training Corps. He served on active duty from 1956 through 1960. He earned his pilot wings in 1957. He joined the reserves and remained for 26 years flying a variety of aircraft. Col. Mench achieved the rank of colonel and was the Operations Group Commander in the 914th Air Reserve Wing based at the Niagara Falls Air Force Base. He retired from the USAF in 1986. He was a member of the Military Officer Association of America and served as its New York State president from 2005 to 2009. He worked for Xerox Corporation from 1965 to 1993.
He was predeceased by his first wife Margaret Nichols Mench. He is survived by their three children. He is also survived by his second wife Marion and her children. Col. Mench has 10 grandchildren.
1,000 Veterans Have Made an Honor Flight Rochester Trip
>> Honor Flight Rochester’s first veteran will welcome them home
>> 150th anniversary commemoration of Taps at Arlington National Cemetery
ROCHESTER, NY – When Honor Flight Rochester’s Mission 22 lifts off Saturday morning May 19 onboard will be the 1,000th veteran to make an Honor Flight Rochester (HFR) trip to Washington, D.C. to visit the World War II Memorial. Veterans return to the Greater Rochester International Airport Sunday, May 20.
“We treating all of the veterans as number 1,000 because during World War II they all pulled together to defeat the Axis forces and secure the freedom of the world,” said HFR President Edwin “Woody” Mench.
Greeting the returning veterans will World War II veteran Dick Bedford, the first veteran to fly with HFR. Bedford, 90, flew on HFR Mission 1 in October 2008 – the “Lone Eagle” flight. Bedford was a P-47 fighter pilot who flew 63 missions before being shot down June 12, 1944 – six days after D-Day (June 6, 1944). He lived with a French farm family for two months until he was captured and sent to Buchenwald Concentration Camp.
AirTran #32 arrives at approximately 11:12 a.m. on Sunday May 20. Returning veterans should be coming “through the glass” at around 11:45 a.m. and the 45-minute welcome home ceremony should start between noon and 12:15 p.m. Mike Giardino, director of Aviation for the Greater Rochester International Airport, is the keynote speaker.
In addition to visiting the WWII Memorial, HFR veterans stop at Arlington National Cemetery. There, they may be treated to some additional activity as this is the 150th anniversary commemoration of Taps at Arlington National Cemetery (http://taps150.org/).
HFR Mission 23 is schedule for June 16 – 17. Additional HFR Missions are planned for the fall of 2012.
HFR (www.honorflightrochester.org) – one of 100 established hubs in the national Honor Flight Network – is a not-for-profit, fully-volunteer organization with a goal of taking every World War II veteran who otherwise would or could not go, to visit and reflect together at Washington D.C. Memorials built in their honor. The two-day trip is free to all World War II veterans and to veterans of any era who suffer a terminal illness. Rochester’s flying season is April to October. Some 1,000 veterans have now flown from Rochester since the local organization began full scale flights in early 2009.
More than 200 WWII Veterans and Guardians, who have flown on Rochester Honor Flights, gathered to celebrate the organization’s First Year success at Legacy Clover Blossom tonight. Emotions and energy ran high as travelers reunited from the three Honor Flights to date funded entirely by private community donations.
The perfect sunset evening on the Legacy’s open courtyard was filled with Len Hawley’s swing tunes of the 1940’s and lively patriotic drum and bugle medleys from Tom Allen’s Prime Time Brass. Veterans shared personal memorabilia, photos and stories, while enjoying gourmet desserts prepared by chefs from the Legacy senior community. Other residents gathered on balconies above the courtyard, adding to the festive occasion.
Dignitaries gathered to fete and greet Rochester’s WWII heroes included Monroe County Sheriff Patrick O’Flynn, retired Major General Norbert Rappl who commanded Rochester’s 98th Reserve Division, Brighton Town Board member and retired Marine Colonel Jim Vogel, along with the New York State President of the Military Officers Association of America, retired Air Force Colonel Edwin “Woody” Mench. Joining the front row dignitaries were two veteran honorees, Air Force Colonel Phil Serafine, and State Supreme Court Judge Donald Mark, both of whom flew on the June Honor Flight. A formal program began as a Marine Color Guard “posted the Colors” and noted vocalist Myron Kowal presented an emotional singing of the National Anthem.
Welcoming ceremonies featured presentation of two 2009 Legacy Independent Senior Living Awards given annually to individuals and organizations for improving the quality of life of Rochester’s senior citizens. This year’s first award went to Meghan Backus and Jay Gardner of WROC TV-8 / Fox News for their documentary coverage of Rochester’s maiden Honor Flight, entitled “Heroes Among Us” which aired before a live studio audience on Veterans Day, 2008.
In presenting the award Paul Foti, Senior Vice President of Legacy Communities, noted that WROC’s recurring Honor Flight coverage has set a “foundation and tone of support from the community which has allowed these hundreds gathered here today to experience the flight of a lifetime.”
A second 2009 Legacy Award was presented to Honor Flight President Vince Hope, for his “hours of dedication that have gone into building an Honor Flight organization here in Rochester,” said Don Riley, Legacy’s Marketing Vice President and Master of Ceremonies. The local Honor Flight is an affiliate of a four-year old national program that flies WWII Veterans for free to visit the Memorial built in their honor in 2004 on the national mall in Washington D.C. Honor Flight’s goal, according to Hope, is to “take every WWII veteran who otherwise would or could not travel at this stage in their lives. The trip is a public celebration of their heroic efforts six decades ago.”
“Think about it,” said Hope. “They were just kids, and they saved the world. We owe everything we have today to this generation.”
While celebrating the reunion of 125 Veterans who have flown along with support personnel in year one, Hope indicated that another 340 applicants are waiting to travel. Tentative plans to fly 175 of those veterans on 3 additional Honor Flights from Rochester this fall, were solidified during the evening when younger attendees and one anonymous donor funded the third flight with on the spot contributions. Each flight costs upwards of $30,000 with each Veteran’s seat on the 40-hour Honor Flight costing $450.
Flights are now scheduled for Sept. 26-27, Oct 17-18 and Oct 31-Nov 1. Veterans and their Guardians are chosen in the order in which they applied, and notification phone calls will be going to the next 175 WWII Veterans in the weeks ahead, according to local leaders.
Those leaders were themselves the center of attention, as Hope announced an expanded leadership team which has been formed to grow the organization into year two. Joining that team are retired RN Rosemary Ann Roth (Veterans), retired Monroe County Sheriff Major Dick Schaff (Flight Operations), Anna Alger Executive Director of Legacy at the Fairways in Victor (Community Outreach), and Faculty Practice Program Coordinator at Rochester General Hospital, RN Kathleen Dietz (Volunteers). Michele Unger RN, DNP has joined the Executive team as Secretary and joins continuing officers Kathleen Wall of Geneseo (VP – Quality and Process Development), Woody Mench of Pittsford (Treasurer), Jeff and Kim Gould of Webster (Development & Major Donors), and Peter Glennon, Niagara Air Guard flyer and attorney at Nixon Peabody.
Pointing to the strength of the volunteer leader team, Hope tipped his hat to the past but focused clearly on the future. “All of these capable folks have emerged from our flights together. And they all understand that a hidden gift for our senior-most veterans is having found one another in Honor Flight. It begins gloriously with the Veterans but infects all our generations who travel with them.”
“Yet it is the talent assembled here that will allow us to grow into 2010,” said Hope. With another 6 Honor Flights anticipated in 2010 to fly an expected 350 more Veterans, growth in finances and volunteer horsepower are central concerns, according to the President. “We can’t begin to meet the goals set forth without even greater community funding and recurring volunteer energy as more and more families experience the life changing aspects of an Honor Flight.”
Tipping his hat to sponsoring partners who contribute significantly to that energy, Hope joined the festive throngs of 85 and 90 year-old honorees, noting “These Legacy folks know something about puttin’ on the Ritz!”
Airport Reception Slated for 55 WWII Veterans & their Guardians
Rochester, New York. The “Honor Flight,” which first formed in Rochester in 2008, lifts off its first whole airplane this weekend, flying 55 area WWII Veterans to visit the Memorial built in their honor on the Mall in Washington DC. Flying out early Saturday morning, 100 travelers will make up the first of several major flights slated for the 2009 travel year.
They return to the Greater Rochester International Airport on Sunday, May 3 at 2:15 pm to a large Welcome Home Celebration, the applause of friends and family, a military color guard as well as surprise speakers to honor members of Rochester’s “Greatest Generation.” The public is invited to join the celebration slated from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. On hand will be young area students who have sponsored great-grandparent heroes through school fund-raisers. Veterans will be available at the airport for interviews with local press.
The mission of Honor Flight is to fly America’s Veterans to Washington D.C. to visit the memorials built and dedicated to honor their sacrifices and service. The goal is to fly every Veteran who wants to go but who, for any variety of reasons, would not. Flights are free to WWII Veterans and those of any era who suffer a terminal illness. Local Rochester volunteers provide logistics and arrangements, with financing coming entirely from the local community. Last fall Rochester flew its first flight and prepared plans for now in 2009 to fly more than 300 local WWII Veterans who are currently registered to go.
Vince Hope of Honor Flight Rochester said, “These trips are all about soldiers going out shoulder to shoulder, sharing this experience, together with men, and women, who find common bond in the sacrifices they made 6 decades ago – when they were just kids.” He recently told a veteran audience, “You land home after just two days with these new, deeply bonded friendships, and all of you, 20 years younger.”
Come celebrate the very young “Greatest Generation.”
AirTran Flight #486 is scheduled to land Sunday at 2:15 pm on Concourse A with more than 100 Honor Flight travelers aboard. A continuing celebration is slated for the International Reception Room, on the lower level.
Contact: Vince Hope, Vice President
Honor Flight Rochester, Inc.
[email protected]
WROC TV-8 Documentary to Air this Veteran’s Day
Rochester, New York. In the dark of a 5:30 morning in mid-October, ten men assembled outside the security glass at the Greater Rochester International Airport. A few were in wheelchairs; all showed the pace of men in their mid to late 80’s. They were beginning a journey that was to last a brief 30 hours, but which would take them back 65 years, to events and memories of their youth. These men were all WWII Veterans and their journey was Rochester’s Inaugural “Honor Flight” – an expedition for them to visit the Memorial built just 4 years ago in their honor on the Mall in Washington, D.C.
Their entourage of 23 included family and volunteer “guardians” to assist and speed the journey, but there also to share in the very personal moments that lie ahead. Among the volunteers – a sheriff’s deputy, a registered nurse, sons and daughters, and four founding members of Honor Flight Rochester, an organization preparing to take hundreds of Veterans on similar Honor Flights in 2009 and beyond. A guest leader and mentor had arrived from Ohio, Clarice Morse, whose husband founded the national Honor Flight Network in 2005.
Also on board that morning were Meghan Backus and Jay Gardner of TV-8 / Fox News, prepared to meet these men, tell their stories and witness the celebration of their heroism and sacrifice those many decades ago. You are invited to share in their adventure and celebration as WROC airs the story of Rochester’s Inaugural Honor Flight this Veteran’s Day, Tuesday November 11 during their 5:00 to 6:30 p.m. news hours.
Live in a studio audience that evening will be the Honored flyers themselves, their guardian travelers, and scores of other area Veterans of WWII, assembled for this premier documentary viewing.
We invite you to tune in to TV-8 at 5:00pm on Veterans Day to join the community-wide celebration, as we honor the great veterans of our Greatest Generation. Tell family and friends. Throw a Veteran’s Day TV party. Post a poster at work, at your church, at your school. Drop a note to your organization’s membership. Fly with us – on Honor Flight.
Honor Flight Rochester, Inc. is a private, not-for-profit affiliate of the national Honor Flight Network, created solely to honor America’s Veterans for their many sacrifices.
“We fly our heroes to Washington DC to visit and reflect together at their memorials.”
All Honored Veterans travel for FREE, in the order in which they apply. Current priority is given to our most senior veterans – WWII survivors – with immediacy for veterans of any generation with a terminal illness. Honor Flights are funded entirely by the local private community. We accept no government funding, nor partisan sponsorships. We do seek the support of individual benefactors, foundations and corporate partners, even as we develop broad donor programs with schools, churches, community and civic organizations. We do NOT accept donations from WWII Veterans. They have given so much already. It is time we honor them.
$450 sponsors one Rochester area Veteran on a day and a half excursion: round trip airfare, a full motor coach day in Washington D.C., all meals, beverages, 4-star overnight accommodation, Sunday buffet brunch and necessary personal support (wheelchairs, oxygen, etc.). Honor Flight does not provide medical care. To DONATE please visit our website at www.HonorFlightRochester.org
To apply to fly with us as a Veteran or supporting Guardian, to volunteer for a working committee, inquire about sponsorship opportunities, or make a direct contribution please visit our website or send a note to Honor Flight Rochester, Inc., P.O. Box 23581, Rochester, NY 14693.
