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Branson MO elementary students meet Ozarks Honor Flight veterans

December 07, 2010|by Jay Scherder, KY3 News | jscherder@ky3.com

BRANSON, Mo -- There was an emotional meeting this week between two World War 2 veterans and the students who sent them to see their memorial in Washington, D.C.  Kids at Branson Elementary West raised more than $1,000 for Ozarks Honor Flight.

Explaining what veterans did in World War 2 to elementary students isn't an easy task.

"It is something at this age level that is difficult to understand," said Branson West Elementary teacher April Mulnik.

That didn't stop Branson Elementary West students from helping send two veterans on an Ozarks Honor Flight.

"We had a veteran and a guardian who had been on the trip this summer come in and speak at a character assembly to kick the whole thing off," Mulnik said.

Area residents John Whitson and Orville Mitchell got to travel to the nation's capital, reliving the memories of the Great War.

"We'd fire, we'd blast them with those eight-inch guns," Whitson told the students.  "We could really tear the mountain up."

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"They bombed and bombed and cleared the way for us to go, which made it a lot easier," Mitchell said.

When they came home from Ozarks Honor Flight, they got to come back to hundreds of their biggest fans.

"They drew pictures," Mitchell said, "I've got 50 at home and they just handed these now to me here."

The students collected change.

"Some of them just brought a bunch of pennies," Mitchell said, "and that's all it took was a penny. And it didn't cost me a penny to go over there."

They collected more than $1,000.  A local church donated the rest.

It may be a war that they will always remember, but it's a trip they won't soon forget.

"This is an honor. To come here, that's really the honor. Fighting -- that was a duty," said Mitchell.

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