VHF Announces 4th Flight Honoring Veterans

“It’s nothing short of amazing to be able to announce this…” Chairman Bryan Questelle stated as he announced Veterans Honor Flight of Southern Illinois will make it’s fourth flight to Washington D.C. this fall honoring veterans across Southern Illinois. “With the sponsorships from Wal-Mart, Peoples National Bank, Pass One Hour, and many others we can announce Flight 4 will be October 16, 2018.” Questelle announced.

Recent sponsorships from Wal-Mart, Peoples National Bank, Pass One Hour Heating & Cooling along with others have resulted in sufficient funding to secure a fourth flight. Area Wal-Mart stores along with partners have donated over $20,000 to Veterans Honor Flight. Peoples National Bank, who started Veterans Honor Flight with an initial $10,000 sponsorship has again donated $5,000 to ensure flights continue. Francis Pass of Pass One Hour Heating & Cooling has also continued to donate, recently with a donation of over $3,600.

“With flight costs increasing, fundraising is more important than ever.” Questelle said.

Veterans wishing to participate in Veterans Honor Flight must submit an application no later than August 24, 2018 to be considered for Flight 4.

Each veteran is accompanied by a guardian. Guardians must apply by August 24, 2018, attend training, and pay the guardian fee to be considered for Flight 4. The board of directors announced Guardian Training will be held at Veterans Airport on Saturday, September 15, 2018 and the guardian fee for Flight 4 will be $600. All guardians are subject to approval by the board of directors.

Honor Flight provides a free trip to Washington D.C. for veterans who served our country. Priority is given to WWII veterans and Korean War veterans, with any terminally-ill vet being handled first. Veterans Honor Flight provides transportation, meals, and medical support for all involved. Veterans will visit the National WWII Memorial, Korean War Memorial, and Arlington National Cemetery, among other locations on the trip. The chartered aircraft will depart Veterans Airport of Southern Illinois at 6:00am on Tuesday, October 16, 2018 and return that evening to a Welcome Home celebration.

Veteran and guardian applications are available at www.veteranshonorflight.org. 

Veterans Honor Flight of Southern Illinois is a non-profit organization and a member of the Honor Flight Network.