Afternoon event was dedicated to honoring our nation’s heroes
NORTH COUNTY — The community gathered to sip, savor, and support veterans at the inaugural Wine & Dine Pour Fest held at the Estrella Warbirds Museum on Saturday, Nov. 2. The afternoon was dedicated to honoring our nation’s heroes, with proceeds going to Honor Flight Central Coast California (Honor Flight), an organization that provides veterans with memorable trips to Washington, D.C.
Guests who purchased a ticket by Tuesday, Oct. 1, were entered into a drawing for an exclusive flight on the historic C-47 plane, “Betsy’s Biscuit Bomber.” With a delay due to some clouds and overcasting, 16 lucky guests were chosen to be passengers on the flight with Betsy. Paso Robles Press was honored to be invited to join the flight with Betsy.Â
Aboard the flight were veterans, supporters, and family like Kathy Veder, who was there on behalf of her late partner Merle Ackerman of Nipomo. Ackerman was set to board Betsy before his untimely death on Oct. 1. When the Korean War broke out, Ackerman joined the Navy, where he was sent to electronics school and worked with early warning systems. After a U.N. tour of Europe, he served on the carrier USS Wright off the coast of Korea. Veder took the flight in honor of Ackerman, his folded flag and hat in tow.
Photos by Camille DeVaul/PRP
Betsy, who is a veteran herself, rolled off the Douglas Aircraft Company-Oklahoma City production line in April 1944 and was delivered to the USAAF in September 1944, and flew for the 9th Air Force, 302nd Air Transport Wing, 27th Air Transport Group during World War II. By 1946, she was loaned to the Israeli Air Force, and she was maintained in a “War Readiness” state for over 30 years. Since 2007, she has been owned by the Gooney Bird Corporation of Paso Robles.
In 2019, Betsy made the trip to Normandy, France, for the 75th Anniversary of D-Day. For the anniversary DC-3s and C-47s from around the world, united at Duxford Airfield in the United Kingdom. On June 5, 250 men and women flew across the English Channel and jumped into historic drop zones in Normandy. You can learn more about Betsy at betsysbiscuitbomber.com
When flying with Betsy, you can’t help but imagine what it would be like to ride her as a WWII soldier and take a trip overseas with her. Back in 2019, pilots took Betsy to Normandy using the same route she would have used the first time back in the ’40s.
Following the flight, hundreds of guests gathered at Hangar 1 at the Estrella Warbird Museum for gourmet food, as well as local wine and beer. The event was set in motion by Laurie Smoot, wife of the late aviator Sherman Smoot — Vietnam veteran and longtime supporter of Honor Flight. Being owners of the Bella Luna Winery, Laurie and Sherman were frequently involved with another fundraiser for Honor Flight, Vino for Vets. This sparked another idea for a fundraiser.
“The Veterans Central Coast needs to have a home,” says Laurie. “What if we were to do something for where all the wineries come together and we bring the auction items there and we do something? So that’s how it originated.”
With the help of Honor Flight board member Alana Reynolds, the idea was brought forward to the board and Chairperson Bear McGill was all in.
Photos by Camille DeVaul/PRP
“I thought the event went fantastic for being a first-year,” McGill said of the inaugural event.
Part of the event included an extensive auction. Though the numbers aren’t official yet, the fundraiser raised over $26,000.
“There was an outpouring by the community,” Laurie said. “Wineries, they all wanted to donate tastings and decanters and bottles and magnums. I can’t tell you how many auction items of wines from our area that are just amazing.”
McGill began Honor Flight’s Central Coast hub after he and his son Greg began taking flights as guardians with the Kern County hub.
“Back in 2012, I went as a guardian for a World War II veteran with three purple hearts,” he explained. “I’ve pushed them around the memorials and sitting at dinner listening to them talk and their stories. It changed my life.”
McGill’s son spearheaded getting the Central Coast hub created and for the last 10 years, McGill has been their chairperson.
Reynolds was drawn to becoming a part of Honor Flight having grown up with a father who was a WWII 82nd Airborne Division Infantryman and her husband who was a Vietnam veteran. Her father was 91 when he went on his Honor Flight to Washington D.C., and passed away the next year. Since then, she has been a guardian on several Honor Flights.
“We have so much freedom here because of what we have fought for for years and what these people went and fought for our freedom. I’m very grateful for that,” Reynolds says. She enjoys getting to get to know the veterans and appreciates them for all that they have done.
Plans are already in motion to plan next year’s inaugural Wine & Dine Pour Fest, possibly with a new date. Laurie, McGill, and Reynolds all wanted to thank the wineries and volunteers who came together to help make this event happen.
You can learn more about Honor Flight Central Coast California at honorflightccc.org.
Feature Image: The Wine & Dine Pour Fest attendees who were picked in a drawing to ride “Betsy’s Biscuit Bomber” during the event pose in front of the plane at the Estrella Warbirds Museum in Paso Robles. Photo by Roy Coffman
