Media Advisory: JHU Applied Physics Lab Employees Volunteer for Honor Flight

On Sat., April 25, approximately 100 employees from The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, in Laurel, Md., will help escort 125 World War II veterans from the Huntsville, Ala., area during a day-long tour of memorials created in their honor.

The tour is being offered, at no cost to the veterans, through the Tennessee Valley chapter of Honor Flight, a volunteer organization created in 2004 when the WWII Memorial was dedicated. The organization provides free airline transport for veterans to Washington, D.C. Volunteers, like those from APL, serve as “guardians,” greeting veterans at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport and staying with their assigned veterans during the day’s activities.

The group will tour the WWII Memorial, Arlington Cemetery, have lunch at the Women in Military Service for America Memorial, and watch the changing of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknowns. They’ll also visit the U.S. Marine Corps, Korean and Lincoln memorials, and then drive by several D.C. landmarks, including the Capital and Jefferson Memorial, before returning to the airport for their flight home.

Nationally, Honor Flight has flown more than 6,000 WWII veterans to the memorial which includes more than 600 from the Tennessee Valley chapter. WWII veterans are a shrinking group, dying at a rate of as many as 1,500 each day, according to government estimates.

Media are invited to meet the group at the WWII (10:40 a.m.) and/or U.S. Marine Corps (3:25 p.m.) memorials for interviews. Reporters should identify themselves to APL volunteer leads Jean Garber and/or Bev Keane (look for their brightly colored name tags and yellow t-shirts).

APL, a division of the Johns Hopkins University, meets critical national challenges through the innovative application of science and technology. For more information, visit www.jhuapl.edu.

What: Volunteers from APL supporting WWII veterans visiting Washington, D.C., through the Tennessee Valley chapter of Honor Flight, a volunteer organization created in 2004 when the WWII Memorial was dedicated.

Who:

• Approximately 100 staff members from The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory
• 125 World War II veterans from the Huntsville, Ala., area

When: Saturday, April 25 — All-Day Event

Where: Interview opportunities available at WWII Memorial (10:40 a.m.) and/or U.S. Marine Corps Memorial (3:25 p.m.) in Washington, D.C.