[June 03, 2014]With 89 Veterans aboard - 18
from World War II, 28 from the Korean War era, and 43 of the Vietnam
War era – Land of Lincoln Honor Flight (LLHF) will take to the air
on Tuesday, June 10th, for their 27th Flight to Washington, DC.
These Veterans, on a no-expense, day long tour to visit and
reflect at their national memorials, each will be accompanied by a
Guardian escort, responsible for their comfort, logistics, mobility
and safety. Aboard the charter 737 aircraft will be Veterans from
the US Air Force, Army, Marines and Navy branches, including the
Seabees. Once in DC, they will be transported for the day on three
tour buses (code name Red, White and Blue) with the itinerary
including the World War II Memorial, Korean Memorial, Vietnam
Memorial, National Air & Space Museum, Marine & Air Force Memorials,
Pentagon drive-by and concluding at Arlington National Cemetery,
including the Tomb of the Unknown Soldiers and Changing of the
Guard. They will also have the opportunity to visit the Ronald
Reagan National Airport and Lincoln Memorial, as well as see the
Washington Monument, Jefferson Memorial, DC World War I Memorial,
and much more.
Veterans on this flight come from the Illinois cities of Alhambra,
Auburn, Beardstown, Bloomington, Bluffs, Carlinville, Carollton,
Champaign, Charleston, Chatham, Chesterfield, Collinsville, Decatur,
Elwin, Eureka, Flanagan, Forsyth, Girard, Glenarm, Godfrey,
Greenfield, Hanna City, Hillsboro, Hopedale, Jacksonville, Kirkland,
Lincoln, Mackinaw, Macon, Manchester, Mattoon, Mechanicsburg,
Metamora, Metropolis, Minier, New Berlin, Pekin, Raymond, Riverton,
Roanoke, Sherman, Springfield, Staunton, Swansea, Taylorville, Tower
Hill, Virden and Wapella, as well as a Veteran from Peoria, Arizona,
traveling back to his hometown of Springfield to go with two of his
old buddies. The flight also includes two female Veterans, one from
World War II and the other from the Vietnam War period.
The public is invited and encouraged to show their appreciation
for these Veterans by welcoming them home when they return to the
Springfield Abraham Lincoln Capital Airport on June 10th, arriving
at approximately 9:30 PM. It is suggested to be to the airport by
8:30 and feel free to wear red, white & blue to show your patriotic
spirit or bring small American flags, balloons, posters, etc.
Land of Lincoln Honor Flight also announces that the flights for the
balance of the year have been confirmed – August 26th, September
16th and October 28th – and that Veteran applications continue to be
accepted, with priority given in the following order:
World War II ~ a soldier enlisted by 12/31/1946
Korean War Era ~ 01/01/1947 to 12/31/1957
Vietnam War Era ~ 01/01/1958 to 05/07/1975
Because every Veteran flies with a guardian escort, a
volunteer who pays their own way, applications for future
guardians are also currently being accepted. Although
approximately two-thirds of the Veterans fly with a relative or
friend Guardian, the remaining need an independent one to
accompany them. This may be any able-bodied adult except for
Veterans who have already been honored with a flight or a spouse
of a Veteran on the flight. Why not consider applying for this
extra-ordinary opportunity? For the fee, included is LLHF
training, a LLHF cap & T-shirt, a round-trip flight, the tour
bus, meals & snacks, plus the rare privilege of spending the day
with true heroes - our senior soldiers. See below on how to
obtain an application.
Land of Lincoln Honor Flight is a 501(c)3 non-profit
organization, receiving no federal or state funding. The
donations, sponsorships, fund raising and efforts of many
individuals and businesses have allowed LLHF to honor this
flight of Veterans. For more information on speaking to
organizations, how to obtain an application, make a donation or
just learn more about the Honor Flight mission, please visit the
official web site at LandofLincolnHonorFlight.org or contact
John Dust, marketing director, at HonorFlightGuy@aol.com or cell
309-339-0227.
[Text received; JOHN DUST, LAND OF
LINCOLN HONOR FLIGHT]
