On April 12, Air Force veteran Don Mills will join more than 100 East Tennessee veterans on HonorAir Knoxville Flight 32 to Washington, D.C., to visit the war memorials.
Mills, a resident at Morning Pointe of Hardin Valley in Knoxville, served in the Air Force for four years. When he enlisted, he already had his pilot’s license, which he earned at age 16. He wanted to be a cadet but didn’t pass the physical. However, there was plenty for him to do. He served as a mechanic and then as a flight engineer. At one point, he held a record for fastest solo flight, at three hours and 15 minutes.
During his Air Force career, Mills was stationed in San Antonio and Wichita Falls, Texas, as well as Maxwell Field in Montgomery, Alabama. He discharged from the Air Force as a staff sergeant.
The HonorAir Knoxville Flight will leave at 9 a.m. from Tyson McGhee Airport and will return at 7:40 p.m. More than 130 veterans will be on board the flight. They will tour the World War II, Korean War and Vietnam War memorials before returning home to a welcome-home celebration.
“We’re so excited for Don to have this opportunity,” said Ben Stiefel, executive director at Morning Pointe of Hardin Valley. “We love to honor our veterans for everything they have done to protect and support our country, and we look forward to celebrating him and the other veterans who are attending the flight. They truly deserve this special recognition, and I know Don will love the trip!”
For more information, visit honorairknoxville.com.
Morning Pointe of Hardin Valley is an assisted living and memory care campus located at 2449 Reagan Road in Knoxville.
Morning Pointe Senior Living is the region’s choice for assisted living and memory care, serving seniors across Tennessee for more than 25 years. In addition to the Hardin Valley assisted living and Alzheimer’s memory care campus, Morning Pointe operates assisted living and memory care communities in the region in Knoxville, Clinton, Powell, and Lenoir City.
Founded in 1997 by Tennessee healthcare entrepreneurs Greg A. Vital and Franklin Farrow, Morning Pointe Senior Living owns and operates 37 assisted living, personal care and Alzheimer’s memory care communities in five southeastern states.
