The Board of Directors of Veterans Honor Flight of Southern Illinois were saddened to learn of the passing of long-time Honor Flight volunteer, Daniel E. “Lt. Dan” Finke. Lt. Dan became a member of the Veterans Honor Flight of Southern Illinois (“VHFSI”) team from the beginning. Lt. Dan served as Volunteer Coordinator for VHFSI.
Lt. Dan served as a guardian on Flight 1 in 2017. Since then, he greeted each flight upon return to Veterans Airport of Southern Illinois, handing out challenge coins to each veteran who flew.
Lt. Dan was selected to fly as an honored veteran on Mission 9, October 4, 2022, but passed away on September 27, 2022 while waiting for his flight. Dan was honored on Mission 9 with an Honor Flag carried in his memory. His longtime friend, and fellow Honor Flight volunteer Edward Smith carried the flag.
The Board of Directors has announced the creation of the Lieutenant Daniel E. Finke Meritorious Service Award in honor of Dan and his contributions to Veterans Honor Flight. The award is to be given to those individuals and organizations who have provided service to and support of the Veterans Honor Flight of Southern Illinois mission to serve the Veterans of Southern Illinois in the form of fundraising, volunteering, program outreach, and other non-monetary support.
The Board intends to continue the tradition of providing challenge coins to all veterans who fly on Honor Flight in memory of Lt. Dan.
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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 2019, 97.5% of all donated money was used for flight costs.
