D.C. trip 'on' for 132 veterans

About four months after being told at the last minute that their trip was canceled, 132 World War II veterans will finally be taking off this Friday for Washington, D.C., thanks to more than $200,000 in donated funds.

"They're so excited they can't stand it," said Judy Lemons, a volunteer with the Hero Flight committee that helped raise money for the vets. It will be a three-day trip.

Last May the veterans' hopes of seeing the WWII memorial and Arlington National Cemetery were dashed when they learned the person soliciting donations on their behalf did not have enough money.

"Of course, I was disappointed, but I didn't figure there was much I could do about it," said Hyrum Grant Keeler, 89, who retired as a lieutenant colonel from the Air Force in 1971. The B-17 he was piloting in WWII was shot down in 1944 over Germany, and Keeler remained a prisoner of war for about six months.

In May Keeler, who envisions an "emotional" trip to Washington, said he was given hope that others would pick up the fund-raising baton. "So, I just kind of hung my hat on that," the Layton resident said.

St. George-based I Works operations manager Bryce Payne heard about the fund-raising debacle in the news and took action.

"It really kind of struck a chord with me," Payne said. "I think it was mostly because of the fact that I hold World War II vets with high regard — I owe them a lot of my freedom. I've never had an opportunity to show my thanks to them."

The employees of I Works, which is an Internet marketing company, and its owner and all of their connections to other donors helped raise at least $85,000. "It's been an amazing thing to see how so many people were able to put in money," Payne said.

Contacted by Payne, Tom Fry, a business owner in Cedar Hills, became a substantial donor. Fry's father served in Vietnam, and he has a brother in the military. His grandfather and his wife Amy (Smith) Fry's grandfather both served in WWII.

"It's a great cause," Fry said about helping out the vets. "I'm excited for them."

Also last May, Utah Department of Commerce spokeswoman Jennifer Bolton said the state would be looking into a charity, Our Unsung Heroes, being run by Paul McSweeney. However, the department's executive director, Francine Giani, said Monday that she could neither "confirm or deny" whether any investigation into McSweeney was ongoing.