Honoring those who served

Florida is home to more than 1,900 organizations that are dedicated to supporting veterans and military families.

These organizations focus on everything from honoring those who made the sacrifice to serve the country to hosting social engagement activities like enjoying the traditional and all-American game of baseball.

Home Base and Honor Flight are just two of the many recognized groups that hold events and fundraising missions throughout the year to celebrate veterans.

These nonprofits are devoted to serving and protecting America's heroes locally while also helping to heal the wounds of warfare.

Home Base

Home Base was established after the Boston Red Sox's 2007 World Series victory. The program was motivated by Tom Werner and the team's visit to the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, where they met a surge of injured soldiers from Iraq and Afghanistan.

Dedicated to supporting veterans, Home Base focuses on healing the "invisible wounds" experienced by soldiers and their families. It provides free assistance through four core pillars: research and education, social wellness, resilience and mindfulness, along with nutrition and exercise.

"They were inspired and determined to help the young people coming back. The medical team had the physical wounds taken care of, so they decided to help with the ones you cannot see through the support of Massachusetts General Hospital. We opened our doors in 2009 in Boston and worked to help with brain injuries, post-traumatic stress disorder, substance abuse and encouraging social engagement," says Armando Hernandez, a U.S. Marine Corps combat veteran and the senior director of Home Base SWFL.

"Home Base is run and operated by veterans. We have experienced great outcomes. We connect with local veterans and families and invite them to join Home Base," says Hernandez. "Home Base has no boundaries. We are here to help, whether it is care for PTSD, family members or veterans who want to rebuild their physical strength and those who want to be surrounded by other vets through our events and services."

The Home Base team worked closely with retired U.S. Army General Fred Franks, a Vietnam and Desert Storm veteran amputee from Naples, whom Hernandez calls a "legend." Franks was instrumental in linking Florida-based veterans to the program and aiding fundraising initiatives. Hernandez highlighted that Florida has a dense veteran population, with one-third facing distress related to "invisible wounds." Home Base Florida, which started in Fort Myers in 2009, has since expanded to Tampa and will open a new location in the state's Panhandle region this month.

"We went from a very small program to treating veterans across the state," says Hernandez. "We are now going from regional to national care and will open next in Arizona and Texas. We offer services and flights to our medical centers in Boston to anyone throughout the 50 states, free of charge."

Home Base offers a wide range of comprehensive amenities to veterans and their families nationwide. Home Base veteran care encompasses various treatments, ranging from speech and physical clinical rehabilitation to non-clinical care options like art therapies. Additionally, Home Base extends its support to the spouses and family members of veterans affected by the challenges of combat.

"We have a spectrum of care since not every veteran is the same. The mind and body are connected to one another. It is important to take care of both," says Hernandez. "Unlike the VA (Department of Veterans Affairs), we also work with veteran's family members."

Home Base has also introduced the "Adventure Series," which provides local veterans with the chance to take part in golf tournaments at Quail Creek and The Nest Golf Club in Bonita Springs, as well as enjoy activities like baseball games, bingo nights, educational seminars, tournaments at the Naples Pickleball Center and several boating and fishing day trips.

"We had a women's only comedy night with our lady veterans and work with Florida Gulf Coast University for music nights," says Hernandez. "Some events can have around 10 veterans while others can have about 200 veterans and families participating."

Hernandez has been a member of Home Base in Fort Myers since its opening in 2009. The team connects veterans to essential services, collaborating with sponsors like Lee Health, FGCU and Hire Heroes. It provides support for those looking to return to school, find careers and secure housing and basic necessities.

"We went from helping hundreds of veterans per year to now thousands of veterans per year," says Hernandez.

Since its establishment, Home Base has assisted over 35,000 veterans and family members and trained more than 85,000 clinicians across the United States. The organization aims to find new treatments for post-combat trauma through accessible programs and social connections. Home Base targets to reduce the "invisible wounds" that have led to the loss of over 100,000 veterans annually since 2001, a number that has significantly impacted communities and loved ones.

Home Base SWFL, located at 9920 FGCU South Court in Fort Myers, can be reached at 239-338-8389. For more information or to make donations, visit their website at homebase.org or the SWFL-specific page at homebase.org/programs/florida.

For the group's upcoming events throughout the region, visit homebase.org/get-involved/events/?keyword=&event-categories=39&scope=future

Honor Flight

Honor Flight is dedicated to saluting the service, sacrifice and selflessness of America's veterans. The organization provides an unforgettable day in the nation's capital, allowing military heroes to visit significant monuments and memorials dedicated to World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War, along with Arlington National Cemetery and specific military branch landmarks.

The Honor Flight and its many chapters have flown over 300,000 veterans to Washington, D.C., since its establishment in 2005, with nearly 22,200 veterans participating in 2023 alone.

"It is completely free for the veterans," says Christine Brady of Southeast Florida Honor Flight.

The Honor Flight Network is estimated to have around 130 hubs across the United States, including 11 in Florida.

"We do the Honor Flight about four times per year. Each flight has an estimated 80 veterans from World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War," says Brady.

Brady described the Honor Flight as a one-day trip that transports veterans on a chartered American Airlines jet. Upon arrival, they tour the memorials and monuments dedicated to the wars they served in. Each veteran is paired with a trained volunteer guardian who is equipped with information about the honored veteran and the combats they experienced.

"Every veteran on the flight has stories to share and memories – some they haven't thought of in decades, and some they have never shared with anyone," says Brady.

Veterans receive specialized bags filled with hats and event memorabilia and journey around the city on chartered coach buses. Veterans are supported by medical staff and helpers who assist with boarding and navigating the memorials. Meals, including breakfast, lunch and dinner, are provided for the veterans during their day of honor.

"We treat them like rockstars," says Brady. "We watch the changing of the guards at the Arlington cemetery. It will be dead silence and the guards will scrap their metal heels to recognize the veterans. It is an amazing day."

Brady described the Honor Flight as "a well-oiled machine" that features professional photographers documenting the experience for social media. This nonprofit organization operates independently of the VA and governmental support, relying solely on "grassroots" fundraising, donations and fully volunteered team members. The Honor Flight's recent data noted that 97 cents of every dollar raised goes directly to the foundation, with each trip costing around $104,000 and requiring over six months of planning.

"It is life-changing for these veterans. For them to be acknowledged is emotional, especially those who served in Vietnam and didn't get a respected welcome home," says Brady. "After one flight, a veteran asked for a hug goodbye. There, he told me that through this experience, a weight had been lifted off his shoulders. He said, 'After all these years, this took away the pain.'"

The Honor Flight features a heartwarming event known as "Operation Homecoming," where they invite supporters to cheer as veterans return to their home airport.

"Over a thousand people show up for the 'Operation Homecoming.' We have music and bagpipes; everyone waves American flags as the veterans arrive at the gate. We have the Color Guard there along with the Boys and Girls Scouts, fellow veterans, families and just people from the community coming together for the celebration," says Brady. "You cannot miss them; people arrive two hours before we land to cheer them on."

Brady added, "Even if you're not on the flight as a veteran or volunteer guardian, you can help welcome the veterans' home after a very moving day in Washington, D.C."

A recent Honor Flight happened on Nov. 2 and returned from the "Mission" around 8:20 p.m. at the Palm Beach International Airport.

This Honor Flight had onboard a 100-year-old World War II veteran accompanied by his son, a Vietnam veteran. It also paid tribute to two sets of brothers who served in the Vietnam War, two Navy women veterans and an engaged couple, who are both veterans.

The next Honor Flight of Southwest Florida is scheduled for Nov. 13. It will return to the Punta Gorda Airport. The next Collier-Lee Honor Flights are being planned for 2025.

"Even if you don't know anyone on the flight, you will find friends and neighbors in the crowd and you'll have a chance to cheer the veterans through the final steps of the day most say they remember as second only to their weddings and births of their children," says Brady.

Since its inaugural flight (Mission 1) in 2013, the Collier-Lee Honor Flight chapter has traveled with over 1,200 local veterans on well-deserved trips, including those who served the country in historical wars over seven decades ago.

The Southwest Florida organization called these residents "heroes" and the Honor Flight "our very small way of saying 'thank you.'"