Charlie Paul
Charlie Paul
Vice-Chair, Board of Directors
South Attleboro, MA
Norway, ME
- 1965-1972, USMC, Sgt., Vietnam Veteran 07/1966-10/1968
- 1980-1999, US Army Reserve, Cmd Sgt Major
- Johnson & Wales, Associate in Bus. Mgt.
- Suffolk University (attended 1 year)
- Eastern Nazarene College – Bachelor Bus. Mgt.
I have been with Honor Flight Maine for 9 years and
on the Board of Directors since February, 2022. I serve as the Vice-Chair of the Board of
Directors and also oversee the Airport Operations and maintain the fleet of wheelchairs.
I have a great passion for the
veteran community. Honor Flight Maine affords me the opportunity to meet, greet and offer
our veterans a “Trip of a Lifetime” to their memorials. I have always said that our WWII
veterans (the greatest generation ever) set the standards for our military. I want to set the
standards on how we should treat our veterans. As a Vietnam veteran, I experienced the
worst that our nation had to offer us. As an HFM Board member, I have experienced the best
the citizens of Maine have to offer our veterans. I have seen the good works that all the Honor
Flight hubs have to offer our veteran community. Honor Flight Network and the founding
fathers, Earl and Jeff have done an amazing job for the veteran community.
I have 2 favorite memories. The First was
attending my first national Honor Flight conference. While there, I got to go in my dress blues
to visit the Iwo Jima memorial and I was honored later that evening by the National Network
at the conference. My seconded memory happened in Oct/2024 as I saw a Vietnam veteran
from our flight having a difficult moment at the Wall. I approached him and we shared a
special moment hugging. The real memory was at the home coming when I was thanking all
our Vietnam veterans and I approached him and we hugged, and he whispered, “You have
helped me begin the healing process”. That was a real powerful moment for me.
I have dedicated the
last 12 years to the Veteran community. I am currently the Commandant of Central Maine
Det. 810 MCL, and I have been the Dept of Maine Commandant, MCL. I have membership in
the VFW, American Legion and the Lewiston/Auburn Veterans Council. Central Maine Det.
810 has reached out to several organizations to support their mission. Those organizations
are Honor Flight Maine, Maine Veteran’s Home (South Paris), Wreaths Across America, Quilts
of Valor and Boothbay V.E.T.S. (Veteran Emergency Temporary Shelters). Our motto is:
Marines helping Veterans, we open doors for our veterans.
