The buzz surrounding Parx Casino in Bensalem could be heard immensely Monday night as locals welcomed home participants of Honor Flight.
With the support of local businesses, citizens, politicians and several Bucks County municipalities, Honor Flight was able to transport even more veterans to see the war memorials in Washington D.C. that honor their sacrifice. The veterans, which traveled via charter buses to the country’s capitol, were escorted from the area by dozens of police vehicles and motorcyclists.
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They arrived to Parx Casino East Monday night shortly before 7 p.m. to a warm, welcoming crowd full of veterans, musicians and local residents. Some even made signs thanking their family members for their service many years ago.
For World War II veteran Maur Levin, last year’s Bucks County-backed Honor Flight Philadelphia trip was something he would never forget.
Last year, Levin and dozens of other World War II and Korean War veterans, most in their late 80s or 90s, and now some with terminal illnesses, packed onto several buses at Parx Casino in Bensalem early one morning last fall for the trip.
From 2014: Local Vets Visit Washington D.C.
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State Sen. Tommy Tomlinson, Congressman Mike Fitzpatrick, and several state representatives, recently thanked Parx Casino for stepping up and becoming the official home base for the local Honor Flight.Bucks County Recorder of Deeds Joe Szafran, who organizes the local Honor Flight trip, said recently that eight tour buses and more than 420 people – more than 200 of them veterans – would be taking part in Monday’s trip. Veterans are paired with volunteer helpers who travel with them through the memorials.
“I’m happy to support Joe Szafran and this cause. I know how important it is to bring the veterans to D.C. to see the monuments,” Yardley-based State Rep. Steve Santarsiero said.
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The Bucks County leg of the Honor Flight compliments one that leaves from Delaware County in the spring.
For veterans like Levin, last year’s trip meant the world to him.
“This is incredible … all the places we visited.”
