Sarasota veteran volunteering his plane to serve wounded warriors
News Channel 8 Sarasota Bureau
Reporter John Rogers
Published: July 2, 2015
Knisely said these veterans inspire him. “The drive that they have is incredible and it sustains all of us to keep doing what we’re doing,” he said. “What I do now for veterans is a labor of love.”
SARASOTA, Fla (WFLA) – A local Vietnam veteran is still proudly serving his country. Retired Army Colonel Ben Knisely is donating his time, money and his own airplane to help wounded veterans through the Veterans Airlift Command.
Knisely has dedicated his life to saving others. He nearly died in Vietnam. He was a medevac helicopter pilot and was shot down by a missile. “(I) spent four days in the jungle, crawling around with broken leg and burns, evading the enemy,” Knisely said.
After he was rescued by the 101st Airborne Division, he spent nine months recovering in a hospital. Now decades later, his mission is still not finished. “I’ve been moving patients in some mode for a good long while,” Knisely said.
Knisely is one of thousands of pilots in the Veterans Airlift Command. He voluntarily flies wounded veterans and their families around the country for medical purposes. The Veterans Airlift Command is a non-profit organization that is run completely on donations and volunteers. The organization has transported more than 10,000 wounded troops across the country.
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I am Brian S. Blanchard. I had the privelige and true honor to serve under Col. Benjamin Knizley in the 10th Combat Support Hospital on Ft. George G. Meade during 1977 and 1978. He was the CO, and I was in the formation when his Capt. bars were replaced with Major Leafs. I truly never had a Co, anywhere I was stationed, who was more loved and respected by ALL of his soldiers. He facilitated many of us to earn the Expert Field Medical Badge. I was there at the 1977 National Boy scout Jamboree with the 10th Hospital. It was my WW 2 era Pyle cap that the 4th platoon gave him when his orders to the Pentagon came. When the evening news interviewed the Commander of the Medical Forces in Desert Storm, it was a beautiful thing to see Col. Knizley.
ReplyDeleteMy eyes did water and I wanted to be there with him immediately if not sooner. It was only 3 weeks ago that I googled Ben's name and learned of August 1968. Most (perhaps all) of us did not know of his dustoff 65 missions in 77 and 78. Or the thousands of Soldiers he transported After 9 months recovery. And still flying missions for the wounded Vets. A TRUE NATIONAL HERO who will be flying missions forever-more. Our Lord be with you and yours always, Sir.
Nice post.
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