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Honor Flight 8 set : Next veterans trip to D.C. is on June 7

SOUTHERN ILLINOIS - Veterans honor Flight of Southern Illinois will conduct its next flight on June 7.

The eighth flight since it was founded in 2016, Veterans Honor Flight has transported over 520 veterans to Washington D.C. to visit the memorials built in their honor.

The group had been running two flights a year until COVID-19 forced a halt in 2020. Flights 7 and 8 were both rescheduled.

Flight 7 traveled on Sept. 28, 2021, marking the return of travel following the pandemic hiatus. Adhering to strict safety protocols, Veterans Honor Flight was able to conduct this flight with zero reported cases of COVID-19 among the 183 passengers who traveled. All participants were vaccinated in accordance with CDC guidance.

Veterans are encouraged to sign up for Honor Flight at www.veteranshonorflight.org, where an online application is available. Selection is based on dates of service with World War II veterans being selected first following by terminally ill veterans.

There are currently 300 veterans on the waiting list for the flights. Any veteran who has applied and is not selected to travel on Flight 8, will have their application held for a future flight. The trip involves a full day of touring Washington D.C. with stops at the National World War II Memorial, Korean War Memorial, Vietnam War Memorial, and Arlington National Cemetery along with other stops.

Each veteran travels with a guardian, a volunteer who assists the veteran with their needs during the day.

The trip is fully funded for veterans via donations to Veterans Honor Flight. Each flight costs approximately $83,000. Tax-deductible donations can be made at the website or at any Peoples National Bank of Banterra Bank facility in southern Illinois.

Donations can also be made in association with sponsorships, such as a $100 wheelchair banner sponsorship which places a banner on one of the wheelchairs taken to Washington D.C. in honor or memory of a veteran or with a personal message.

Follow Veterans Honor Flight on Facebook (www.facebook.com/veteranshonorflight) or Instagram (www.instagram.com/vethonorflight) for the latest information.

Navy veteran James Seed receives a warm welcome home while walking through the terminal at Veterans Airport of Southern Illinois. Harrisburg Register file photo
Army Veteran Winston Mezo of Carbondale is greeted with a big hug from his granddaughter Willow Priess after Honor Flight 007 landed at Veterans Airport. Harrisburg Register file photo