HONOR FLIGHT SYRACUSE INC

The World War II Memorial in Washington, DC, did not open to the public until late April, 2004. Honor Flight Network was formed to take elderly World War II Veterans to Washington to visit the memorial dedicated to their service and sacrifice. By the end of 2019, 130 Honor Flight Hubs across 42 states have flown over 250,000 Veterans to Washington. Honor Flight Syracuse was formed in 2012 to serve Veterans in a 10-county area of Central and Northern New York and the Mohawk Valley. To date, Honor Flight Syracuse has flown 14 missions transporting 992 WWII, Korean War, Vietnam War and terminally ill Veterans to Washington. Normally two flights are planned each year - in April and October. A typical mission brings the Veterans to Hancock Airport early in the morning to board a charter flight to DC. They are warmly and ceremoniously greeted at Reagan Airport where they board charter buses for the trip to the WWII Memorial, the Viet Nam Memorial, The Korean War Memorial and others, as time permits. Each trip includes a visit to Arlington National Cemetery for a "Changing of the Guard" ceremony. The flight home concludes with a wonderful "Welcome Home" ceremony at Hancock Airport with hundreds of family and friends cheering the procession of Veterans led by a bagpipe band. It all creates a day of recognition and remembrance for the Veterans that is decades overdue.