Those Who Left Us in 2021-- Part 6: Elder, Dole, Unser and Nesmith

NOVEMBER

**  LEE ELDER, 87

He broke down racial barriers as the first black golfer to play in the Masters and paved the way for Tiger Woods and others to follow.  Died November 28.

DECEMBER

**  BOB DOLE

He overcame disabling World War II wounds to become a Republican Senate leader and a presidential candidate.  I voted for him.  He became a symbol of the dwindling Greatest Generation.  I really liked where he would personally go and meet WW II veterans on the Honor Flights.  Died December 5.

**  AL UNSER, 82

One of only four drivers to win the Indianapolis 6500 a record four times.  Died December 9.  His brother Bobby Unser was a three-time Indy 500 winner and died May 2.

**  MICHAEL NESMITH, 78

Singer, song-writer and best of all for me, a member of one of my favorite groups (and TV shows) The Monkees."  Died  December 10.

Earl Morse's Honor Flights

I came across an article in the American Profile magazine about Earl Morse, who has started up an organization called Honor Flight, which takes WWII veterans to the National WWII Memorial in Washington, DC, at absolutely no cost to themselves.

Morse is a retired Air Force Captain and a licensed pilot. While working at the US Department of Veterans Affairs medical clinic in Springfield, Ohio, in 2004, he asked a patient, 78-year-old WWII vet Leonard Loy, if he was going to visit the new memorial. Loy said he didn't have enough money. Morse was already planning on flying his father, a Vietnam vet, to DC to see the Wall. Would Loy care to come with them? An idea was born.

Morse founded the non-profit Honor Flight Network in 2005, and has since taken over 1000 WWII vets to the memorial.

This is a man who has accomplished a great thing.

You can find out more at www.americanprofile.com "Honor Flight" by Marcia Schonberg July 29-Aug. 4, 2007.

My cousin Graham, a US Navy pilot during the Vietnam War, was involved with mercy flights to get people to hospitals for operations who could not afford to do it, for many years. I'll have to contact him to find out more about what he did.

My Great Thanks To People Who Do Things Like This. -- RoadDog