|
 Land of Lincoln Honor Flight (LLHF) will take to
the air again to honor 81 senior Veterans, by flying them on a no
expense, day long journey to Washington, DC.
Aboard the charter 737 aircraft will be 3 Veterans
from World War II, 31 from the Korean War era and 47 Vietnam War
era, with the US Air Force, Army, Marines, Navy and Merchant Marine
branches of the military represented.
Once landed at Reagan National Airport in DC, they
will be transported on three luxury tour buses (designated Red,
White and Blue for the day) with the first three stops being the
World War II, Korean and Vietnam War Memorials so they may view and
reflect on their service. The itinerary will also include visiting
or seeing the Washington Monument, Jefferson Memorial, Lincoln
Memorial, National Air & Space Museum, Air Force & Marine Corps
Memorials, the Pentagon and will conclude at Arlington National
Cemetery.
All on the trip will have the
opportunity to view the Tomb of the Unknown Soldiers and witness the
Changing of the Guard. On this second LLHF flight of the 2017 flying
season, accompanying the Veterans will be 75 guardian escorts and 4
Land of Lincoln Honor Flight board members.
Veterans on this flight come from the 49 Central and Southern
Illinois cities of Alton, Arcola, Ashland, Assumption, Astoria,
Atlanta, Bethalto, Bethany, Bloomington, Bunker Hill, Carlinville,
Champaign, Chatham, Chrisman, Cisco, Clinton, Danville, Dawson,
Decatur, Deland, Effingham, Findlay, Fisher, Franklin, Fults,
Hindsboro, Jacksonville, Lincoln, Marion, Mattoon, Monticello, Mount
Olive, New Berlin, Newton, Palmyra, Pawnee, Peotone, Petersburg,
Raymond, Roodhouse, Saint Elmo, Shelbyville, Sherman, Silvis,
Springfield, Taylorville, Tilton, Warrensburg and Waverly.
The Veterans will return back to Springfield around 9:30 PM, and
family, friends and the general public are invited and encouraged to
show their appreciation to these Veterans by welcoming them home at
the airport.
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 All should feel free to dress in red, white & blue
colors, bring balloons or posters, and show your appreciation to
these heroes with hand shakes and hugs. Come early, enjoy free
parking and show you care about the sacrifice and service they gave
to the country. Veteran applications
continue to be accepted, with flight priority given in the following
order:
- World War II (person enlisted by 12/31/1946),
- then Korean War Era (01/01/1947 to
12/31/1957),
- followed by the Vietnam War Era (01/01/1958
to 05/07/1975).
Any certified terminally ill Veteran should
contact LLHF directly.
Three more flights are planned for the year on
June 20th, September 12th and October 17th.
Because every Veteran flies with a Guardian escort, a trained
family member or independent volunteer, who pays their own way
and who ensures the Veteran has a safe and comfort trip on their
special day in Washington, DC, applications for Guardians are
also currently being accepted.
Veteran or Guardian Applications may be obtained at
www.LandofLincoln HonorFlight.org, by clicking on
Applications, then click & print the application of choice. LLHF
is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization that receives no government
funding or grants. It is only able to honor the Veteran with a
trip 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, book a board member speaker,
check the calendar 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 throughout
the year.
[John Dust] |
-Lincoln-IL/2831225863)
