Group of senior Veterans take Dream Flights at Northeast Philadelphia Airport
PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- Paid Sponsor Partnership: Philadelphia Corporation for Aging
Several military veterans were selected for a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
"Dream Flights' mission is to give back to those who gave," says Darryl Fisher, founder, president and pilot of Dream Flights. "We give flights to veterans primarily that live in nursing homes and assisted living centers."
These veterans received care from Marquis-supported skilled nursing centers.
"Marquis is a company that really drives these types of moments," says Ricky Peña, vice president of Marquis Health Consulting Services. "I'm a big fan of really creating an experience for our seniors."
Vets were honored with a ceremony at Atlantic Aviation at the Northeast Philadelphia Airport as part of Marquis' "Service, anew." Program, which focuses on veterans.
"They've done so much for our country, so it's key for us to honor them," says Peña.
"We give them a gift of flight in a World War II biplane," says Fisher.
Edward DeCamillis got to sit in the front cockpit.
"I joined in 1980, the United States Navy," says DeCamillis, a U.S. Navy veteran. "Served on a tin can, the USS Patterson."
Flying in a Stearman is a literal breath of fresh air since DeCamillis' battle with throat cancer.
"It was built by Boeing in 1940 to 1945," says Fisher. "It's the primary trainer for pilots in World War II."
95-year-old Carmen Baccari also took flight.
"When I was 18, I joined the Army," says Baccari, a U.S. Army and Army Reserve veteran. "I spent my time in Germany."
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After he was discharged, Baccari says he then joined the Army National Guard for three years.
Baccari was very active until a leg fracture and credits rehab with getting him back on his feet.
"I'm glad I got there, cause in two months they had me walking again," he says.
"There's a mirror up there," explains Fisher. "I see smiles. They're looking around. They're taking in the experience. It's beautiful."
"The goal is really to fulfill our veterans," says Peña. "Dream Flights is a wonderful program."
"It was great. It was really smooth. I loved seeing the lake and the river, all the houses," says DeCamillis.
Since its founding in 2011, Dream Flights has given over 8,500 flights in 49 states.
"I'm a volunteer," says Fisher. "This is our way of, just a tiny bit of, saying thank you for everything you've done for us."
"Very good, I give it a ten," says Baccari.
Marquis says they make dreams happen for older adults utilizing their services about six times a year, and Dream Flights was just their most recent adventure. That national nonprofit travels to about 30 to 35 states a year to give veterans this once-in-a-lifetime experience. And those pilots are all volunteers giving back to those who gave.
Marquis Health Consulting Services - Skilled Nursing Facilities
