World War II veteran, 97, raises $5,000 for Honor Flights

WYOMING, Mich. (WOOD) — Veterans in West Michigan are raising money to make Honor Flights to Washington, D.C., possible for other veterans.

Every Wednesday, several veterans meet at Marge’s Donut Den in Wyoming for a post-traumatic stress disorder support group. The veterans share their stories and support each other.

“These are fellas that have had problems when they got out of the service adjusting to everyday life,” veteran Dave Low, who served in World War II, said. “They meet, talk to each other about what they experienced.”

The group has been meeting for 11 years, the last five at Marge’s. It’s made up of veterans representing nearly 80 years of conflicts.

“Some of them have some pretty good problems about adjusting because of the experiences they had over there, and the experiences they had when they come back to the United States,” Low said.

One of the best ways to adjust, he said, is through acts of service. Inspired by an Honor Flight in May, Low began aggressively raising money for other veterans to attend.

After a full summer of work, he was able to donate over $5,000, which helped nine veterans participate in an Honor Flight earlier this month.

On Wednesday, Low was recognized for his efforts.

“I tried to say something, but I couldn’t. I was just too emotional,” Low said. “To have somebody pay tribute to you the way that they did … is something else.”

With him on the flight that inspired the efforts was Marine Corps veteran Eric Winters.

“Powerful, inspirational, I mean, I can’t say enough words of how wonderful it was,” Winters said.

Low, 97, celebrated his birthday Wednesday along with fellow World War II veteran Marv Naglekirk, who will also turn 97 soon.

The bond formed by the group and the impact its members are making go hand in hand.

“You had something to do, which meant a lot. And when you don’t have that anymore, what’s my sense of purpose? And without that, we lose direction,” Winters said. “So these meetings, they give us a sense of purpose, they give us direction, and it propels us to find more things to serve our country.”

They plan to continue raising money for another Honor Flight for West Michigan veterans in May.

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