Photo of a class of students wearing red, white, and blue

Orchard Farm Elementary students raised money to thank veterans. 

Courtesy Brandi Genenbacher

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Thank You, Veterans!

Students in Missouri helped raise money to fly veterans to Washington, D.C.

Last November, students in St. Charles, Missouri, had a big question about veterans. 

Veterans Day is November 11. It’s a day to honor those who served in the U.S. military. The kids at Orchard Farm Elementary wanted to thank veterans. But how should they do it?

Then the students learned about Honor Flight. The group flies veterans to Washington, D.C. There they visit the different war memorials in our nation’s capital. The students knew that Honor Flight was the answer to their question.

Flights of Heroes

Greater St. Louis Honor Flight

Joe Daues

Since 2005, Honor Flight has flown more than 275,000 veterans to Washington, D.C. The trips are paid for with donations, or gifts of money. The veterans visit memorials that were built to honor their service in the U.S. military. 

The students at Orchard Farm raised money for Honor Flight. They held a Hats for Heroes Day. Kids paid a dollar each to get to wear a hat to school. (Hats are usually not allowed at the school.)

They raised $833. That was enough to fly a veteran named Joe Daues from Missouri to Washington, D.C., last April. 

Shutterstock.com

Joe Daues visited the Korean War Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C. 

One Act, Many Rewards

Courtesy of family

Kyle Kelley

Daues appreciated being thanked for his two years of service in the Army during the Korean War (1950-1953). He said the trip made him feel like “a rock star.” He wanted others to feel that way. 

Meanwhile, Orchard Farm Elementary students raised more money. Soon they had enough to send a second veteran to Washington, D.C. 

A family heard about the students’ efforts and wanted to help. They made a donation for a third veteran. A local company was proud of the kids as well. To show it, the company gave two more veterans Honor Flights.

Thanks to the students’ hard work, five veterans got to make the trip!

“I felt proud to help veterans see the memorials,” says student Kyle Kelley.

Jim McMahon/Mapman®

1. How did students at Orchard Farm Elementary thank veterans?

2. Based on the article, why might visiting war memorials be meaningful to veterans?

3. What is the section “One Act, Many Rewards” mostly about?

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