Honor Flight of the Quad Cities has announced its 59th Honor Flight to Washington, D.C., will take off Tuesday, April 23, for a full day tour.
This flight is sponsored by R. I. A. Federal Credit Union.
About 80 veterans, who served during the nation’s conflicts, will have a chance to visit the memorials built in their honor in Washington, D.C. This flight will include veterans of World War II, three veterans of Korea, one female veteran, and many who served during the Vietnam War. Hundreds of area veterans have gone on the local Honor Flights in the past several years.
Jake Ward, a member of the Honor Flight Board and an employee of RIAFCU, will serve as the deputy commander of flight 59. He will join Phil Corwin, a retired U.S. Army lieutenant colonel, who will be the flight commander.
Three tour buses will have trained bus captains to assist the veterans and guardians on the daylong Honor Flight. The veterans will be accompanied by more than 70 trained volunteer “guardians,” who will assist them throughout the day, and perhaps hear a good story or two.
At the end of the day on April 23 (about 10 p.m.), the veterans will return to the Quad Cities International Airport. The public is invited to come to the airport and give the veterans a reception and welcome home. Parking at the airport will be free for this event.
Any veteran with a year of honorable, non-training, active duty before 1976 may fill out an application to participate in an Honor Flight. Send it (along with a DD214) to Honor Flight, c/o Ridgecrest Village 4130 Northwest Blvd., Davenport, 52806. (Go here to find the application.)
Those interested in going on a flight as a guardian to assist veterans (some may be in a wheelchair) may fill out a “guardian application” as well. All applications are available at www.honorflightqc.org. You can also find them at honorflight@ridgecrestvillage.org.
