Seven former POWs offered free Maui vacations

Advertiser Staff

Seven former POWs from the Iraq war in addition to Pfc. Jessica Lynch are being invited to Maui on paid vacations, state officials said yesterday.

If the service members accept the invitation and come, "obviously it will be tremendous national and international coverage," Gov. Linda Lingle said.

The offer of expenses-paid trips is aimed at publicizing Hawai'i as a vacation destination.

The Maui News and Continental Airlines are offering to help pay for the trips.

"The troops, their families, really appreciate the generosity," said Maj. Gen. Robert G.F. Lee, state director of civil defense.

Other companies have also offered to contribute. "The businesses in Hawai'i have basically come out of the woodwork in support of this," said Marsha Wienert, executive director of the Maui Visitors Bureau.

The Maui News and its sister newspaper, The Parkersburg News & Sentinel, announced earlier this month that they would help organize, plan and defray costs of a trip for Lynch, who was rescued April 1 by special operations forces.

State officials said they hope the POWs and their immediate families will visit within the next year.

Advertiser news services contributed to this report.