Republican State Rep. Donna Mayfield
State Rep. Donna Mayfield said she has always admired the sacrifices of the soldiers who fought in World War II.
“I’m a sucker for that group of veterans,” Mayfield said.
Because of that long-standing admiration, Mayfield said she decided to do something to say thank you.
“I thought, ‘What can you do for those guys who did so much for our country?’” Mayfield said.
Since many local World War II veterans have never been to Washington, D.C., to see the World War II memorial, Mayfield decided to make the trip possible for any interested veteran. Thanks to funding from private donations, Mayfield has arranged a free trip to the capital for World War II veterans Sept. 12-14.
“That’s really what motivated me to do this, because a lot of them have never been there before,” Mayfield said.
A chartered bus will leave Clark County Monday, Sept. 12, and take veterans to the memorial, and U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) has arranged for them to be honored on the Senate floor.
“It’s a touching thing,”¿Mayfield said.
Currently, 15 veterans have expressed an interest in the trip, but Mayfield said there is room on the bus for 55. There is no official list of World War II¿veterans in Clark County, so Mayfield is asking the public to help spread the word. The trip is free for all veterans, including travel expenses, lodging and food. Don Spicer of the Marine Corps League is assisting Mayfield in collecting names of local veterans.
“More names keep surfacing. We keep trying to get as many as we can,” Mayfield said.
A complete schedule of events has not been finalized because Mayfield said she wants the veterans to give their input. If any veterans are interested, a trip to Arlington National Cemetery also is a possibility.
“I’m flexible with it,”¿Mayfield said.
If anyone knows a veteran who would be interested in going on the trip, or if anyone would like to make a donation, contact Mayfield at 749-0909.
Contact Rachel Parsons at rparsons@winchestersun.com.
