By Judy Seifert (Contact / Staff Bio)
July 5, 2008 - 12:00 a.m. EST

MILLINGTON ­-- On July 12, Ivan McPherson will board a plane at Detroit Metro Airport that will take him on a one-day adventure he’s been waiting years to experience.

McPherson, 88, will be a passenger on one of Michigan’s Honor Flights, a free trip for World War II veterans to their monument in Washington D.C.

"He’s so excited about it," said Clayton Betzing, a longtime friend of McPherson’s. "When he got the acceptance letter two weeks ago, he was just beside himself."

McPherson, who served in the Navy as a petty officer, will have the opportunity that day to not only visit the WWII Memorial, but also Arlington National Cemetery, the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, the Korean Memorial and Viet Nam Memorial.

"It’s going to be a busy day for sure," Betzing said. "He leaves at 3:30 a.m. by bus to the airport and returns that same evening. It will be a long day for me too, but it’s worth it."

Honor Flight Michigan Inc. is a non-profit organization formed to raise funds to send all World War II veterans, to see their monument free of charge. David Cameron of West Bloomfield heads up the state-wide effort to raise money for the trips and works closely with the Royal Oak American Legion Post 253.

Opened in 2004, Cameron said the memorial is a tribute to heroes. "And we’re treating them like heroes again, even if only for one day."

According to Cameron, approximately 3 million veterans of the 16 million who served in the war are still alive.

"Time is running out. We’re losing around 1,500 each day and we need to pay them one last tribute," he added.

McPherson, a 1937 graduate of Millington High School, served in the Navy for four years. He met his wife Rosemarie while riding the Staten Island Ferry in New York City.

"They met and, like other couples during the war, just fell in love, got married and came home," Betzing added.

For information on the Honor Flights and to complete an application, visit www.honorflightmichigan.com