Honor Flight to fly on September 29

[September 25, 2015]  LINCOLN - Land of Lincoln Honor Flight will return from their trip to Washington, DC, back to Abraham Lincoln Capital Airport on Tuesday, September 29th, around 9:30 p.m.  Family, friends and the general public are encouraged to come to the airport to “Welcome Home” the 79 Veterans - 10 from World War II, 61 from the Korean War and 8 from the Vietnam War eras - when they arrive.

It is suggested to be at the airport by 8:30 – 9:00 and wearing red, white and blue to show your patriotic spirit is encouraged. Balloons, small flags, posters, signs, handshakes, hugs and kisses are all allowed to show your appreciation for the sacrifices and service these Veterans gave to their country.

The heroes/heroines on this flight come from 51 Illinois communities, consisting of Arcola, Atwood, Bartonville, Bloomington, Carlinville, Carrollton, Champaign, Chapin, Collinsville, Danville, Decatur, East Peoria, Farmer City, Greenup, Hillsboro, Jacksonville, Keyesport, Lincoln, Loami, Mackinaw, Macon, Marion, Melvin, Morrisonville, Newton, Niatic, Olney, Pana, Pawnee, Pearl, Pekin, Rantoul, Riverton, Rochester, Rosiclare, Rushville, San Jose, Savoy, Shelbyville, Sidney, Springfield, St. Joseph, Staunton, Sullivan, Trenton, Tuscola, Urbana, Virginia, Watseka, Watson and Woodson.

The 16 U.S. Air Force, 42 Army, 2 Marines and 19 Navy men and women will have had a long, interesting day, beginning with their arrival at the Springfield airport around 4:30 – 4:45 AM that morning. Along with their volunteer Guardian escorts, they will fly to the east coast aboard a Sun Country 737 charter jetliner on a day trip to visit and reflect at their Memorials in the nation’s capital. Once the airplane lands at Ronald Reagan National Airport, Veterans and Guardians will board their Red, White or Blue luxury coach buses, named in their honor for the day.

Upon leaving the airport, they will cross the Potomac River to their first stop at the National World War II Memorial, getting a quick glance of the south lawn of the White House while in transit. After visiting the Memorial, they will travel from the Washington Monument end to the Lincoln Memorial end of the Reflecting Pool for the Korean and Vietnam War Memorials. After seeing these and having lunch, they will tour the National Air and Space Museum in Chantilly, Virginia, home to the WWII B-29 Enola Gay bomber, Discovery Space Shuttle, and many other WWI, WWII, Korean and Vietnam era aircraft.

The group will then return to the Washington district for stops at the Air Force and Marine Corps Memorials, with the tour concluding with the viewing of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldiers and Changing of the Guard at the Arlington National Cemetery. During the day they will also be able to see the Pentagon and other sites from the bus before departing back to Springfield.

Land of Lincoln Honor Flight provides these no-cost trips to Veterans of World War II, Korean and Vietnam War eras, in order of their service. An application may be obtained at www.LandofLincolnHonorFlight.org or contact volunteer John Dust, phone [phone] or email [e-mail]. LLHF is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization that receives no government funding or grants. It is only able to honor the Veterans on these flights to DC due to the generous donations, sponsorships, fundraising events, merchandise sales and supporting efforts of the many local businesses, individuals and organizations within their service area. Please visit the web site to make a donation, consider holding a fundraiser or to obtain more information on the Honor Flight mission. Also consider following LLHF on their Facebook page to stay current on upcoming events and flights.

[John Dust]