News - Veterans Honor Flight

NEWS

Mission 9 to Fly October 4, 2022

Veterans Honor Flight of Southern Illinois announced their ninth mission to transport veterans to Washington, D.C. will depart Tuesday, October 4, 2022. This will be the second flight in 2022, with Mission 8 having flown in June. Each mission takes approximately 85 veterans to Washington where they visit memorials built in their honor, such as the National WWI Memorial, Korean War Memorial, and the Vietnam War Memorial. Flights are completely free for veterans and funded by donations. Veterans Honor Flight arranges for accommodations for any veteran requiring special medical care or mobility aids throughout the day. Each veteran is accompanied by a guardian to provide both physical and emotional support. Mission 9 is expected to hold 87 veterans and will return to Veterans Airport of [...Read more]

Welcome Home Celebration for Flight 8

Welcome Home Celebration

Tuesday, June 7 5pm - 9pm All events are outdoors, restrooms available. Lawn chairs are recommended. Food trucks available starting at 5pm. Flight arrival 8:10pm

Parking

Shuttles run constantly to & from Veterans Airport Parking is NOT available at Veterans Airport

Where will be you be at 5pm on Tuesday, June 7th? Hopefully at the Veterans Airport in Marion to welcome home our Veterans from their day in Washington DC.[...Read more]

Veterans Honor Flight to Return to Washington D.C. in June

Veterans Honor Flight of Southern Illinois announced Tuesday the group will return to Washington D.C. in the Spring. The all-volunteer group will conduct their eighth flight honoring veterans from Southern Illinois on Tuesday, June 7, 2022. Founded in 2016, Veterans Honor Flight has transported over 520 veterans to Washington D.C. to see the memorials built in their honor. Starting in 2017, the group has run two flights per year with the exception of those flights rescheduled due to COVID-19. Flight 8, originally scheduled for June 2020, is the last flight rescheduled. Flight 7, held on September 28, 2021, marked the return to flying after COVID-19. Adhering to strict safety protocols, Veterans Honor Flight was able to conduct this flight with zero reported cases of COVID-19 among th [...Read more]

Successful Flight 7 Brings 87 Veterans to D.C.

Veterans Honor Flight of Southern Illinois completed their seventh flight to Washington, D.C. on Tuesday, September 28, 2021 after a nearly two-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The all-volunteer group departed Veterans Airport of Southern Illinois at 5:30am for a day packed with visits to memorials in our nation's capitol. This flight carried 87 veterans, including three World War II veterans. Flight 7 at National WWII Memorial

Flight 7 made stops at the National World War II Memorial, Korean War Memorial, Lincoln Memorial, and Vietnam War Memorial before breaking for lunch. After lunch, a surprise addi [...Read more]

Public Invited to 7th Welcome Home Celebration

Veterans Honor Flight of Southern Illinois Invites Public to Welcome Home Ceremony Plenty of Parking, Transportation, Food and Entertainment Where will be you be at 5pm on Tuesday, September 28th? Hopefully at Veterans Airport of Southern Illinois in Marion to welcome home our Veterans from their day in Washington, DC! Event organizers have been working most of the year on the Welcome Home Celebration and want to invite everyone to come out and enjoy the festivities. “Community support for the previous Honor Flight Welcome Home events has been overwhelming!” stated Deborah Hogg, Welcome Home organizer. “There is no better way to celebrate our [...Read more]

Veterans Honor Flight to Resume Flying September 28
Veterans Honor Flight of Southern Illinois has announced that Flight 7 will transport 87 of our area’s honored veterans to Washington D.C. on Tuesday, September 28, 2021. Originally planned for May 5, 2020, Flight 7 has been postponed several times due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. With the latest guidance from the CDC and relaxing of local COVID-19 restrictions, it is now possible to conduct an Honor Flight and to ensure veteran safety. All veterans originally selected to fly on May 5 remain on the flight. Veterans have also been given the option to fly at a later time, if they wish. The flight will depart Veterans Airport of Southern Illinois at 5:15am and return at 8:00pm. The public is invited to attend the Welcome Home ceremony beginning at 5:00pm. Those in attendance d [...Read more]

Vaccines Required on 2021 Honor Flights
The Honor Flight Network, the national organization which governs all Honor Flight hubs has announced that all passengers on honor flights in 2021 will need to be vaccinated against COVID-19. The two dose vaccine from Moderna or Pfizer, or the single dose vaccine from Johnson and Johnson are sufficient. For those who receive a two dose vaccine, the second dose must be received at least 14 days prior to the flight. For those who receive the Johnson and Johnson vaccine, the dose must be administered at least 28 days prior to flying. The vaccine requirement applies to all veterans, guardians, and staff who participate in the flight. No exceptions will be made. Veterans Honor Flight of Southern Illinois continues to plan the 7th flight for the fall of 2021. While we cannot yet c [...Read more]

Veterans Honor Flight Plans Fall 2021 Flight
Veterans Honor Flight of Southern Illinois has been notified by The Honor Flight Network that flights are not allowed prior to July 1, 2021. Because of this, Veterans Honor Flight is planning to conduct Flight 7 in the Fall of 2021. Originally scheduled for May 2020, Flight 7 veterans and guardians have been selected. Everyone originally scheduled to fly remains on the flight. Veterans Honor Flight continues to accept veteran applications via the web site at www.veteranshonorflight.org or by mail. A downloadable application is also available on the web site. Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, Veterans Honor Flight was unable to fly in 2020. Despite this, Veterans Honor Flight has continued to receive donations from the comm [...Read more]

Support Honor Flight with new Face Masks!
Veterans Honor Flight is proud to announce new face masks with our logo on them. Each mask purchased is a donation to Veterans Honor Flight! Click here to buy your face mask now! [...Read more]

2020 Flights Postponed Until Spring 2021
As you know, our travel plans for Honor Flight have been drastically impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic currently worldwide. Based on guidance from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the Honor Flight Network, as well as federal and state governments, our plans for Honor Flight have changed once again. Our plans to fly this fall have been postponed to Spring 2021. Most importantly, all veterans, and their guardians, selected for Flight 7 remain on the flight. No action is necessary. Likewise, your guardian selection remains unchanged. The Honor Flight Network has imposed a travel ban through December 31, 2020. Based on multiple factors, we agree this is the correct decision to provide the safest and absolute best flight possible for our Veterans. The Board of Directors of Vet [...Read more]