First all-female honor flight out of Florida prepares for Washington D.C. trip

SANFORD, Fla. – Florida’s first all-women honor flight leaves for Washington D.C. early Tuesday morning.

“It’s at all times cool while you get with different vets. However these are all feminine vets. And also you’ve acquired some that they got here in when ladies weren’t precisely welcomed with open arms,” mentioned retired U.S. Military Lt. Col. Heath Davenport. She spent 25 years within the Military, working her means as much as lieutenant colonel. 

However as a girl, she needed to overcome quite a bit to show herself. “So many individuals, you go they usually say ‘oh was your husband within the navy?’ No, it was me,” mentioned Davenport.

That’s why she’s so touched to fly to Washington D.C. on an honor flight this week. It’s the primary all-female honor flight out of Florida. 100 and 9 feminine veterans and their supplied guardians will go on a grand tour of D.C., together with monuments, warfare memorials, and banquets. 

Heath is conversant in town. She’s served two excursions on the Pentagon, however for some others, “For a few of these gals, it’s going to be enjoyable to go searching and see as a result of a few of them have by no means been to the Tomb of the Unknown. So to see them expertise goes to be cool.” 

We requested if serving on the Pentagon was what she was most happy with. However she advised us “I’d say in all probability the factor I’m most happy with is being Airborne. After I went, there have been no ladies there, so it was actually uncommon, so I’m going to be carrying my Airborne hat.” 

The ladies will take off for D.C. at 6 a.m. Tuesday. Normally, these honor flights are completed in sooner or later, however these feminine veterans raised the funds and shall be spending the night time within the Capitol earlier than returning Wednesday night time.