Public asked to help honor veterans Friday

The public is invited Friday to help send off participants of the Honor Tour, a program that provides veterans with a trip to Washington D.C. to see the memorials that honor their sacrifices.

The three-day trip will include visits to the World War II, Korea, Vietnam and Lincoln memorials, the Washington Monument, the White House, Arlington Cemetery and other locations.

It will be the first trip led by Vietnam veteran Jerry Sneathern, who now serves as coordinator for the trips. Sneathern has participated in previous trips, both as a veteran and as a volunteer.

Participants in an Honor Trip say a prayer before leaving from Poplar Bluff in 2015.DAR File Photo

“It’s very emotional and it makes you want everyone else to be able to see it,” said Sneathern, who took over from the program’s original coordinator, Rob Callahan.

Part of the effort includes the send off from the program’s base town, Poplar Bluff.

The bus that takes veterans to St. Louis will leave at 7 a.m. Friday from the parking lot of First Baptist Church.

Members of the fire and police departments are expected to be on hand, as well as the Missouri State Highway Patrol and other first responders, to help honor the veterans, said Sneathern.

This tour group will include 30 veterans and 24 escorts.

The veterans come from all branches of the service except the Coast Guard, Sneathern said.

Participating are one World War II veteran, five who served in the Korean War and 24 who served in the Vietnam War.

They are residents of Southeast Missouri and Northeast Arkansas, with one member from Nashville, Tennessee.

All expenses for the veterans are paid through fundraising efforts.

Each tour costs just over $53,000.

Following the send off from Poplar Bluff, veterans will make a stop at Farmington High School, where they will be honored by community members there. The tour will fly out of St. Louis for the four-day trip.