Trip of a Lifetime

Imagine that a memorial built in your honor is on display in our country’s capital for all to visit. Now imagine never having seen it in person, yourself.

For American veterans, the war memorials of the National Mall in Washington, D.C., represent something deeply personal: a tribute to the generations of men and women who have bravely served and sacrificed for this country. Yet not every veteran has had the opportunity to stand before those monuments and experience the nation’s gratitude.

Honor Flight Central Florida, part of the nonprofit Honor Flight Network, helps make that experience possible. Since 2005, the Honor Flight Network has been flying veterans of World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War to D.C. to visit the memorials. Honor Flight, which has 124 regional hubs (including Central Florida), has flown nearly 300,000 veterans to date.

The one-day trip comes at no cost to the veterans. Organized by volunteers and sustained through public support and donations, Honor Flight ensures that financial burdens do not stand between those who served and this meaningful journey.

For veterans who have spent decades carrying memories of their time in uniform, Honor Flight is so much more than a travel excursion. It is an opportunity to see their history honored, to share that moment with fellow veterans, and to remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice.

In mid-October, six Seminole County veterans boarded an Honor Flight that departed out of the Orlando-Sanford International Airport. Upon their return, they were welcomed home by a grateful community. Let’s meet two of the local heroes who were on that flight:

Ellen Hone of Longwood

“How would I describe my mother?” says Ellen Hone Tuech, daughter of 90-year-old Ellen Hone. “She’s a badass.”

At 18, she enlisted in the U.S. Air Force, beginning a three-year period of military service that took her to California right after the Korean War era. Serving from 1954 to 1957, she specialized as an aircraft radar and warning operator. Ellen achieved the rank of airman first class and received the Good Conduct Medal.

From the time of her retirement in ‘57 to 1971, she was a military wife and mother, marrying her first spouse in 1955 and having her only child (daughter Ellen) in 1967.

The senior Ellen moved to Longwood in 2023 after the death of her second spouse and longtime partner, Sharon Durrant, with whom she shared 43 years.

Ellen’s life beyond the military reflected another kind of commitment. She became an outspoken advocate for women’s equality, supporting the Equal Rights Amendment and Title IX, which prohibits sex-based discrimination in education programs and activities that receive federal financial assistance. Her daughter recalls attending marches in D.C. with her mom in the 1980s and 1990s.

“She was a very fierce feminist – still is,” says the junior Ellen, who proudly accompanied her mom on the recent Honor Flight.

Carol E. Zumbro of Winter Springs

“My father saw the Air Force as a place to be a pilot,” says Lisa Harrison, daughter of 100-year-old Carol E. Zumbro. Then she adds with a laugh: “I personally think it was a way to meet the girls.”

Carol’s dream of being a pilot became a military career spanning more than two decades, beginning when he enlisted in the Air Force in 1944 at age 17.

Over the course of his service, Carol became a charter member of Strategic Air Command, established during the early years of the Atomic Age. He specialized in atomic theory, logistics and transportation, and flight operations.

Carol rose to the rank of master sergeant and flew with the same crew for eight years. As aircraft technology advanced, he returned to school to train on new planes, beginning with the B-17 and eventually working with the KC-135. Toward the end of his service, Carol was a boom operator, refueling aircraft in flight. He retired in 1965 after a career that spanned the World War II, Korean War, and Vietnam War eras.

After leaving the military, Carol joined the U.S. Postal Service and married Lisa’s mother. He now lives in Winter Springs, where he has resided for 11 years.

Lisa was thrilled to accompany her dad on the Honor Flight trip, which gave them the opportunity to experience the memorials together.

If you’d like to help local veterans visit Washington, D.C., go to HonorFlightCentralFlorida.org or call 407-203-7010.