Florida Health Care Association Partners with Dream Flights to Honor Senior Veterans in Miami

Miami, Fla. – The Florida Health Care Association (FHCA) today partnered with Dream Flights to honor seven local Miami veterans with free flights of a lifetime in restored World War II-era biplanes, the same aircraft used to train aviators during WWII. 

Dream Flights’ mission is to give back to those who gave. During a 20-minute flight, Dream Flyers experience the freedom and exhilaration of soaring 1,000 feet in the air in an iconic, open-cockpit-biplane. 

Prior to takeoff, the Dream Flyers were presented with FHCA challenge coins and received medals from the Florida Veterans Foundation. 

“We could not be more excited for our veteran residents and family members being honored today with flights of a lifetime,” said Emmett Reed, CEO of FHCA. “These heroes dedicated their lives in service to our country, and it is an honor to have the opportunity to give back a small portion of what they gave to us.”

"This was an incredible experience for our residents, who enjoyed being among their fellow veterans and sharing memories about their years of service," said Marco Carrasco, FHCA District I President and administrator of Miami Shores Nursing & Rehab Center. "Every day in long term care, we look for opportunities to enrich the lives of our residents. We're grateful to the Dream Flights team and the Florida Veterans Foundation for helping us make this a special day for everyone involved."

Dream Flyers honored at the Miami Dream Flights event included: 

Nick Antonacci, Sr. with DOS Healthcare: Mr. Antonacci is 86 and was a 3rd Class Airman in the US Air Force. He served 6 years and serviced the “Cigar Box Planes" and eventually the C130s. He was stationed in Miami and eventually out of Homestead Airforce Base.

Marie Felder of Miami Shores Nursing & Rehab Center: Ms. Felder is 87 and was a Captain in the US Air Force. She served 10 years as a Registered Nurse. She was responsible for taking care of astronauts during their training and preparing for space travel, including completing their physical exams to make sure they were physically fit for space flights.

Javier Laffront, retired nurse and family caregiver: Mr. Laffront is 67 and served in the US Army with a Military Rank of E-4. He was trained as a Combat Medic and a Patient Care Specialist and served at Martin Army Hospital at Ft Benning, Georgia. He became a Registered Nurse while in the Army Reserves.

Esther Navarro of Palmetto Subacute Care: Ms. Navarro is 88 and is flying in honor of her husband, Angel Navarro. Her husband was a Staff Sergeant in the US Army and a Vietnam Veteran. He served 20 years and received several honors, including the National Defense Service Medal, Good Conduct Medal, Vietnam Service and Campaign Medals, and the Vietnam Gallantry Cross with Palm.
 
Gene Pederson of Miami Shores Nursing & Rehab Center: Mr. Pederson is 79 years old and is a Vietnam Veteran who served as a Sergeant in the US Army for 10 years as a helicopter pilot. He was a crew chief and a flight engineer. After becoming a pilot, he flew helicopters such as the CH47 Chinook on many dangerous and top-secret missions.

Also in attendance were facility staff and family members, along with another Miami Shores veteran, to honor and support the Dream Flyers:

Mr. Golden Lee of Miami Shores Nursing & Rehab Center: Mr. Golden is 66 and was a Captain in the US Air Force. He served 11 years, during which he flew other service personnel across Europe and the Far East, visiting 75 countries during his years of service. 

Following the flights, Dream Flyers received a signed Dream Flights baseball hat, and friends and family gathered around the Stearman for a group photo. In the mail a few weeks later, Dream Flyers will receive a customized certificate including a photo in the cockpit of the plane.

Since 2011, Dream Flights has honored more than 7,000 veterans and seniors living in long-term care communities. In 2021, Dream Flights launched Operation September Freedom, the largest barnstorming event in U.S. history and its first to honor veterans who served in a particular war. During the 61-day tour, Dream Flights landed in 333 cities in 47 states to honor 891 World War II heroes with free Dream Flights.

U.S. Marine Corps Brigadier General Robert Brodie served as the Dream Flights pilot for the Miami Veterans. Dream Flight pilots are active duty or retired military veterans themselves who volunteer their time to fly veterans in the country's largest fleet of restored/fully operational Stearman biplanes.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 4, 2024

PRESS CONTACT:
Kristen Knapp, APR
850-510-4389 or kknapp@fhca.org