Ukusukela oko kwamiswa iSikhumbuzo seMfazwe yeHlabathi yesiBini kwindawo yentengiso yesizwe yaseWashington DC kwiminyaka emine eyadlulayo, bambalwa kumawaka athontelana ukuya kwindawo yonke imihla abasindileyo kwiinkonzo.
Amavolontiya-abasebenzi kunye neminikelo-mali ye-Honor Flights ibonelela ngohambo lwasimahla kunye nokugada kumagqala eMfazwe yeHlabathi yesiBini ukuba atyelele ilitye lesikhumbuzo lesikhumbuzo senkonzo yawo.
“Kwiminyaka eli-10 njengomqhubi wenqwelo-moya we-ExpressJet, ukubhabha i-Honor Flight yayilolona suku lunomvuzo kumsebenzi wam. Njengegqala lomkhosi wasemoyeni, ndaziva ndinebhongo elikhulu ngokuba yinxalenye yosuku lokuwonga abo banikele kakhulu,” utshilo uJeff Rupp ongumqhubi wenqwelo-moya ye-ExpressJet's Honor Flight.
Inkonzo ye-charter ye-ExpressJet Airlines iya kubhabha i-Northwestern Ohio Honor Flight hub ye-Honor Flight hub yesibini ekupheleni kukaJuni, emva kokubhabha amagqala angama-29 ukusuka eToledo nge-30 ka-Epreli kwinqwelomoya yokuqala.
U-Dee Pakulski, utata wakhe wayeligqala le-WWII, waseka i-Northwestern Ohio hub yale nkqubo emva kokusebenza njengomgcini we-Honor Flight kwigqala leMfazwe yeHlabathi yesiBini esigulela ukufa ngokusebenzisa i-hub yaseMichigan yenkqubo.
“Yonke imihla, siphulukana nesona sizukulwana sethu sikhulu sabantu baseMelika,” utshilo uPakulski. “Uninzi lwaba bantu baseMelika bakhaliphileyo babuyile enkonzweni emva koloyiso bengabonwa. Abaninzi kubo beva amazwi ombulelo noxabiso okwesihlandlo sokuqala xa betyelele iSikhumbuzo.”
Ngokwewebhusayithi yembeko yokubhabha, suku ngalunye, amagqala eMfazwe yeHlabathi yesiBini ayi-1200 ayafa. Ngenkqubo ye-TLC okanye “ithuba labo lokugqibela” inyathelo lokuqala linikezelwa kumagqala agulela ukufa.
“Ukhuseleko yeyona nto iphambili kuthi,” utshilo uPakulski. “La magqala akwiminyaka yawo yee-80 nee-90 kwaye afuna izitulo ezinamavili, ioksijini, kwaye afuna indawo yokuhlala ekhethekileyo.”
Inkonzo eqeshiweyo ye-ExpressJet ibonelela ngokuguquguquka, ivumela iqela ukuba linike amagqala osuku olungalibalekiyo lokufumana i-capitol yesizwe abasilwela ukukhusela.
I-Honor Flight hub nganye ihlawulela uhambo lwamagqala ngokuqokelela imali yeqela kunye neenzame zenkxaso.
Ukusukela ngo-2005, i-Honor Flight network iye yanda yaya kutsho kuma-30. Undoqo wamavolontiya asekuhlaleni anyusa imali kwaye acwangcise iihambo zamagqala ommandla aphuma kwindawo nganye yeHonor Flight. Igqala ngalinye lidityaniswa nomlondolozi olivolontiya. Nangona uhambo lwamagqala lusimahla, abagcini babantwana bazihlawulela uhambo lwabo.
Njengoko ulwazi lwale nkqubo lukhula, iindawo ezininzi zokusebenzela ziye zabona uluhlu lokulinda lwamagqala lukhula lwaya kutsho kumakhulu.
“Silala rhoqo ebusuku sisazi ukuba njengoko siqokelela imali kwaye silungiselela iFlight elandelayo yeHonor, amanye amagqala asenokungabikho ngomso. Ngokuqinisekileyo sifuna ukubonelela ngohambo oluninzi kangangoko sinako,” uqhube watsho uPukulski.
Ucebisa nabani na onomdla ekuncedeni ekunikeleni ngemali kwi-hub yabo yasekhaya, asebenze njengevolontiya lokuxhasa ngezimali okanye umgcini, okanye aseke i-Honor Flight hub yendawo kwindawo yabo, ukuba aqhagamshelane nombutho wenqwelomoya wembeko kazwelonke ku-www.honorflight.org.
