Veterans Honor Flight of Southern Illinois returned from its 17th mission honoring area veterans on Monday to a hero’s welcome at Veterans Airport.
Since its founding ten years ago, Veterans Honor Flight of Southern Illinois has transported over 1,400 veterans to Washington DC. Each Veteran flies for free and is accompanied by a trained Guardian to ensure safety. The group announced intentions to continue the mission into 2027.
Veterans Honor Flight will operate two missions in 2027 with the intention of serving 190 veterans. Mission 18 will depart Marion on Tuesday, May 4, 2027 and Mission 19 will be Tuesday, September 14, 2027.
Veterans who wish to be considered for selection for Mission 18 must apply by December 31, 2026, and by April 30, 2027 for Mission 19. Applications are available online at www.veteranshonorflight.org.
Chairman Bryan Questelle said the group is prepared to continue until all Veterans in Southern Illinois are served. “We’ve taken over 1,400 Veterans, and we’re not slowing down. The generosity of our donors are making it possible.”
Questelle said the group has secured a larger aircraft for 2027 to increase the number of Veterans per mission. “We hope to be able to hit 93 Veterans on each mission.” he said.
Veterans who wish to participate in Honor Flight can apply online at www.veteranshonorflight.org or call 618-942-3930 to request a paper application. Veterans from all branches and all dates of service are eligible for Honor Flight. For complete eligibility information, visit www.veteranshonorflight.org.
If you would like to support Veterans Honor Flight, donations can be made at www.veteranshonorflight.org or any Peoples National Bank or Banterra Bank facility in Southern Illinois. All donations are tax deductible. Additionally, donations may be made in association with sponsorships, such as a wheelchair banner sponsorship ($100) which places a banner on one of the wheelchairs taken to Washington D.C. in honor or memory of a veteran or with a personal message. For additional sponsorship information, visit www.veteranshonorflight.org.
Follow Veterans Honor Flight on Facebook (www.facebook.com/veteranshonorflight) or Instagram (www.instagram.com/vethonorflight) for the latest information.
Veterans Honor Flight of Southern Illinois is a hub of the Honor Flight Network and is dedicated to the service of the veterans in Southern Illinois. Veterans Honor Flight of Southern Illinois is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization with all available donations going directly to flight costs. As of 2024, 98.9% of all donated money was used for flight costs.
