This D-Day, in honor of the late Sherman Smoot, Honor Flight Central Coast took 17 veterans aboard WWII aircraft “Betsy’s Biscuit Bomber” on a ride around San Luis Obispo County.
Smoot was a pilot with Honor Flight Central Coast who devoted himself to taking veterans on honor flights.
Smoot died in a plane crash in 2022 and to preserve his legacy, his best friend, Scott Stelzle, collaborated with Smoot’s wife Laurie to develop this ‘legacy flight’.
Stelzle said they each asked themselves, “How are we going to do something to try to remember Sherman and not forget what his mission was?”
They decided an annual honor flight on the anniversary of D-Day would best serve Sherman’s memory.
“That was one of our missions…to get these old vets back out…get them in an airplane, fly them around and make them have some excitement again and remove some of the old times they spent in an aircraft like this in a military situation,” Stelzle said.
Sherman’s legacy wasn’t lost on the veterans aboard Thursday’s flight. Bill Lathrop, a veteran who flew alongside his two family members said, “Not too many people would be able to board an old plane like this, sit together, take pictures together...couldn’t ask for something better.”
For information on Honor Flight Central Coast, click here.
