Ford Motor Company Fund sending Cleveland-area war veterans to visit World War II Memorial in Washington, D.C.

•  For the second year in a row, Ford Motor Company Fund is sponsoring an Honor Flight for 50 World War II veterans in the Cleveland area to visit the World War II Memorial in Washington, D.C.
•     This year is significant as it marks the 70th anniversary of D-Day (June 6, 1944)
•     Ford Fund will sponsor three Honor Flights this year, adding to the six flights it has sponsored since 2011

For the second year in a row, Ford Motor Company Fund is sponsoring an Honor Flight to transport Cleveland-area veterans to the National World War II Memorial in Washington, D.C. The World War II Honor Flight veterans – all in their eighties and nineties – will be greeted at the national memorial by members of Congress and Ford employees.

Ford Fund is covering the cost of the trip to Washington, D.C. for 50 World War II veterans from Cleveland and other parts of Ohio to experience national memorials dedicated in their honor. The trip was organized by Honor Flight Cleveland (www.honorflightcleveland.com), the northeast Ohio hub of the Honor Flight Network.

All veterans will be accompanied by a volunteer guardian who will be paying for their own trip. Frankie Lannaggi, former U.S. Marine and Process Coach at Ford’s Cleveland Engine Plant, is volunteering to be a guardian for Wednesday’s flight.

“As a U.S. Marine, I am honored to participate in this great program and give back to the men and women who have given so much to our country and paved the way for the freedoms we have today,” said Lannaggi, “I am proud to be part of the Ford family who are recognizing these local veterans for their sacrifice and dedication.”

In addition to the WWII Memorial, the veterans and their guardians are also visiting memorials dedicated to veterans of the Korean War, Vietnam War, Iwo Jima and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in the Arlington National Cemetery.

Ford Motor Company’s support for veterans started more than 90 years ago when Henry Ford led a cross-country caravan of 50 Ford Model T’s to transport disabled veterans to their convention. Since 1974, Ford Motor Company and Ford Motor Company Fund have provided more than $8 million to veteran organizations, including support for the National World War II Memorial. Ford Fund is sponsoring three Honor Flights this year, which will bring the total Ford-sponsored Honor Flights since 2011 to nine.

The Ford Veterans Network Group, one of the company’s corporately supported Employee Resource Groups, sponsors activities in support of its veterans, military personnel and their families. Ford employs more than 7,000 U.S. veterans along with hundreds of active military personnel and U.S. reservists and guardsmen.
About Ford Motor Company Fund and Community Services

Ford Motor Company Fund and Community Services works with community partners to advance driving safety, education and community life. The Ford Motor Company Fund has operated for more than 60 years with ongoing funding from Ford Motor Company. Ford Driving Skills for Life teaches new drivers through a variety of hands-on and interactive methods. Innovation in education is encouraged through programs that enhance high school learning and provide college scholarships and university grants. Through the Ford Volunteer Corps, more than 25,000 Ford employees and retirees each year work on projects that better their communities in 30 countries. For more information, visit community.ford.com.
About Ford Motor Company

Ford Motor Company, a global automotive industry leader based in Dearborn, Mich., manufactures or distributes automobiles across six continents. With about 183,000 employees and 65 plants worldwide, the company’s automotive brands include Ford and Lincoln. The company provides financial services through Ford Motor Credit Company. For more information regarding Ford and its products worldwide, please visit corporate.ford.com.