Retired [and that word is used loosely] Providence Fire Chief George Farrell is always looking to raise money and to get a good deal. That’s why I figured he had come up with something when he said Sunday he had chartered a Breeze Airways jet for Honor Flight “Charlie.” The March 30 flight is being sponsored by the Charles Lombardi Charities, which was another surprise. Lombardi, the North Providence mayor, has been a regular at flight sendoffs. I knew he was impressed because he loves talking about honor flights, but I had no idea his charities’ fund has contributed about $30,000 over the years.

For all those contributions, George thought it only appropriate the flight be named “Charlie.” The list of Honor Flight benefactors is a testament to George’s passion to pay tribute to our veterans, which has a lot to do with people wanting to help him. I asked George to name some sponsors. He started with McShawn’s Pub, sponsor of three flights; Wayne Morse, two flights plus providing coffee and doughnuts at flight departures; the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, whose various locals have sponsored seven flights; Ocean State Job Lot; Paul Vadenais of Friends Foundry, and the list goes on.

Since the first flight in November 2012, George and his team have held 32 flights.

George’s wife, Jane Barletta, who went on the first flight, has been at his side plus a devoted core of board members who really dig into the lives of participating veterans to ensure every base is covered and there are no hiccups. For the upcoming flight, George is checking TSA protocols for a service dog and to alert them of a vet on a liquid diet. He wants to make sure the bags will be cleared.

But why Breeze?

When George explained Breeze would be the carrier rather than Southwest, as has been the practice with the honor flights for more than 10 years it, made sense. Rhode Island T. F. Green International Airport is a Breeze base, meaning Breeze planes are here overnight. Southwest and other carriers don’t use Green as a base. They would need to fly an empty plane in and fly out empty after the return honor flight to Green. Breeze was a better deal.

Jane has come to expect such things of George.

“He’s always busy,” she said. She wasn’t exactly idle herself on Sunday. She was carrying on a conversation while selling raffle tickets at the St. Mary’s Feast Society hall in Cranston. The event, a meatball and chicken pasta luncheon hosted by the society, was a benefit for the upcoming honor flight.

“We’re as opposite as opposites can be,” said Jane. Maybe that explains why the marriage has worked for 45 years. They are parents of two daughters and have three grandchildren; most of them were at the event.

I’ve seen George and his crew in action as honor flights come together at 5 a.m. at the airport terminal. The flights are carefully choreographed, with the focus on the veterans – sometimes as many as 70 vets, each accompanied by a guardian. Every possible contingency is considered, from medications to the timing of visits to national monuments and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington to an evacuation plan should there be a shutdown of Washington. Where would they go, who should they contact? There’s a plan for that.

The highlight of the flight is the mail call that comes at a dinner before the return flight to Rhode Island, WWII Air Force veteran Domenic Giarrusso, who is 102, told the group Sunday. Domenic teared up as he spoke of the letters he received from elementary school students. Domenic has been around to the schools to personally thank the students.

George doesn’t take “no” when it comes to giving veterans the Washington experience. On one of the recent flights, buses filled with veterans were waved away from approaching the WWII Memorial not all that far from the White House. Trucks blocked the entrance and police stood guard.  George stopped the buses partially blocking traffic. Police didn’t care what George had to say. The road was closed per orders. But George is familiar with chains of command and he worked his way to the top. He was emphatic. This was the only time these veterans could visit the monument, he wouldn’t accept anything less than granting them entrance. A truck was pulled aside. The buses passed.

Where does all of George’s energy come from? Might Jane have had something to do with it?

She provided some insights as society members lined up behind platters prepared to serve lunch. George and Jane’s brother John were classmates at Roger Williams College and that’s how George and Jane met. He was a ship fitter at Electric Boat who went on to become an administrative officer.

Life would have been simpler had George stayed at EB, but he became a firefighter, and when he climbed the ranks he was on call 24/7.  Jane remembers a bank of phones to stay in touch with Fire Department personnel. He was always busy.

George says the procedures he learned and practiced as a firefighter have proven invaluable in organizing and running Honor Flight. Indeed, it’s smooth running and it’s no wonder that the Rhode Island Fire Chiefs Honor Flight Hub has been recognized nationally.

What can’t be measured is the attention of all of those involved, from sponsors to guardians and George and his team to our veterans. That’s what makes it work and meaningful for those so deserving.