Honor Flight Network:

[Ed Palmer]

HONOR FLIGHT NETWORK: Honor Flight Network (HFN) recognizes American veterans for their sacrifices and achievements by flying them at no cost to Washington, D.C. to see memorials built in their honor. Many of these veterans have no other way to see “their” memorial and time is of the essence as more than 1,000 World War II veterans die each day. Veterans are flown on a "first-come, first-served basis. Top priority (for which applications are currently being accepted) is given to World War II and terminally ill veterans from all wars. Second priority is to Korean War veterans and then Vietnam War veterans. In order for HFN to achieve this goal, guardians fly with the veterans on every flight providing assistance and helping veterans have a safe, memorable and rewarding experience. Veterans need only bring money if they plan to buy souvenirs. Guardians do pay a fee depending on transportation costs from their location. A normal ratio is 8 veterans to 3 guardians. The program is equipped to handle veterans in wheelchairs and/or on Oxygen. If you know of someone who is a World War II veteran or a veteran with a terminal illness, fill out an application available at HYPERLINK "http://www.honorflight.org/apply/Veteran-Application-2009-08-20.pdf"www.honorflight.org/apply/Veteran-Application-2009-08-20.pdf and send it in. Guardian and volunteer applications are available at HYPERLINK "http://www.honorflight.org/docs/Guardian%20Application20Aug09.pdf"www.honorflight.org/docs/Guardian%20Application20Aug09.pdf and HYPERLINK "http://www.honorflight.org/docs/VolunteerApplication-11282008.pdf"www.honorflight.org/docs/VolunteerApplication-11282008.pdf .

The inaugural Honor Flight took place in MAY 05. Six small planes Mail all applications to Honor Flight Inc., 300 East Auburn Ave., Springfield, OH 45505-4703. Guardian flew out of Springfield, Ohio taking twelve World War II veterans on a visit to the memorial in Washington, DC. In AUG 05, an ever-expanding waiting list of veterans led to their transition to commercial airline carriers with the goal of accommodating as many veterans as possible. Partnering with HonorAir in Hendersonville, North Carolina, the "Honor Flight Network was formed." In May 08, Southwest Airlines stepped up by donating thousands of free tickets, and was named the official commercial carrier of the Honor Flight Network. In 2009 they transported 35,996 veterans. Today, they are working aggressively to expand the programs to cities in all 50 states. For further information, call 937-521-2400, email at HYPERLINK "mailto:veteran-application@honorflight.org"veteran-application@honorflight.org; HYPERLINK "mailto:guardian-application@honorflight.org"guardian-application@honorflight.org; HYPERLINK "mailto:volunteer-application@honorflight.org"volunteer-application@honorflight.org or go to HYPERLINK "http://www.honorflight.org"www.honorflight.org. [Source: HYPERLINK "http://www.honorflight.org"www.honorflight.org Feb 2010 ++]

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