The Suburban Newspaper for Mountain Brook, Homewood, Vestavia Hills, Hoover and North Shelby County
OVER THE MOUNTAIN
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JOU RNAL OTMJ.COM
THURSDAY, JUNE 28, 2012
VOL. 21 #13 Bang-up ideas for celebrating the Fourth
ABOUT TOWN PAGE 6
Vestavia chef ready for Iron City competition
PEOPLE PAGE 11
VETERANS’ VOYAGE
Pink Palace Casino benefits breast cancer research
SOCIAL PAGE 16
PUBLIC PEOPLE/PRIVATE PLACES At home with ...
OTM residents Malcom Miller and Owens Sims were among the veterans taking part in Birmingham’s last Honor Flight June 21. The group spent the day touring the World War II memorial and other Washington, D.C., landmarks. Below, the group was welcomed back at the Birmingham airport with flags and signs thanking them for their service. Journal photos by Lee Walls Jr.
Last Honor Flight Takes Off from Birmingham
By Laura McAlister
W
JOURNAL EDITOR
hen Dr. John Carter of Homewood signed up for Birmingham’s Honor Flight years ago, he specifically requested to be put at the end of the waiting list to let his fellow World War II veterans in the area go before him. John, unlike many who signed up for the program, has visited the World War II memorial in Washington, D.C. But he did want the opportunity offered through Honor Flight to see it with those who served as he did so many years ago. “When I put in the application, I told them since I’d already been to let others who hadn’t go first,” he said. “I wanted to make sure those who hadn’t been to the memorial could go first.”
Organizers of Birmingham’s Honor Flight, which flies World War II veterans to Washington, D.C., for one day to tour the WWII monument for free, honored John’s request. Since just about every able World War II veteran in the area has been flown to the memorial since the program’s formation in 2008, John was one of some 80 veterans invited to take part in the city’s last Honor Flight. The group of 88, including 64 World War II veterans and the rest Korean or Vietnam veterans, left for Washington, D.C., early on the morning of June 21 and returned that night. The landing of their flight marked the end of Birmingham’s Honor Flight, which has now taken almost 1,000 veterans to see the WWII memorial. The program was supposed to end last year, but Pam Nichols, who heads the all-volunteer organization in Birmingham, said there were still names left on the list of those waiting to go to Washington, D.C. “After last year’s flight, we had 83 left on this list,” she said. “Many of them weren’t in good enough health to travel. Most of these veterans are 87 years old or older.” There were still many WWII veterans See HONOR FLIGHT, page 15
ABC/33 sports anchor Mike Raita PAGE 24
Sports Illustrated writer Lars Anderson PAGE 25
97.3 the Zone host Matt Coulter PAGE 26
SUE MURPHY’S TWO CENTS WORTH P. 2 • THE HUNT IS ON IN HOMEWOOD P. 4 • MARKET DAY IN MOUNTAIN BROOK P. 10 • MEET THE HOOVER BELLES P. 29