More than ninety Central Illinois Veterans experienced a day of appreciation for their service on Land of Lincoln Honor Flight’s Mission #63.
Two Korean-era Veterans and ninety-two Vietnam-era veterans were on board the free flight from Springfield Abraham Lincoln Capitol Airport to Washington, D.C. to experience their national memorials with their comrades.
These Veterans and their eighty-four Guardians, who cover the cost of their own expenses, arrived at the airport Tuesday, having traveled from 55 Illinois cities and communities.
Joan Bortolon, LLHF President, said: “While this is Land of Lincoln Honor Flight’s Mission #63, this is the first and only flight for these ninety-four veterans. Because of the 30-month COVID delay and the length of our waiting list, most of these veterans have been waiting for their day of honor for four years. Their patience is appreciated and we are ready to show them the respect and gratitude for their service that they earned and deserve.”
The Vets traveled to Washington D.C. on a chartered Sun Country 737 aircraft and by luxury coaches on the ground upon arrival. The day included visits to the World War II and Korean and Vietnam War memorials as well as to Arlington National Cemetery’s Tomb of the Unknowns, the Lincoln Memorial, the National Air & Space Museum in Chantilly, Virginia, the US Marine Corps Memorial, and the US Air Force Memorial.
The day of honor was provided at absolutely no cost to the Veterans, who returned to newly-renovated Springfield airport at 10:00 p.m. Tuesday.
Land of Lincoln Honor Flight is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization that receives no government funding. It is only able to honor Veterans thanks to the generous donations, sponsorships, fundraising events, merchandise sales and supporting efforts of the many local businesses, individuals and organizations within our service area. Land of Lincoln Honor Flight is operated by all volunteers; it has no paid staff, no office and no utilities costs. Its on-going administrative cost is approximately 1% so virtually every dollar raised supports flight costs for our Veterans.
Land of Lincoln Honor Flight still has a waiting list of over 500 veterans waiting for a future flight. However, LLHF is still encouraging new applications.
Veterans will be offered flights by date of application within each service era: World War II (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.
Veteran and Guardian Applications may be obtained at www.LandofLincolnHonorFlight.org by clicking on applications tab.
Since its inception in 2009, Land of Lincoln Honor Flight has been privileged to serve 4,923 Veterans on 62 flights. The final 2022 flight is scheduled for November 1.