The Honor Flight of the Quad Cities – the nonprofit initiative that transports military veterans to Washington, D.C., to visit memorials dedicated to their service and sacrifice – is expanding its mission. Now, vets who served in the reserves and national guard can be guests on an Honor Flight.
In the past, most of the veterans taking the flights served during World War II, in Korea or in Vietnam. Now, any veteran who served before December 1990 is eligible to go on the flights, Honor Flight leaders announced this week.
“This will include, but is not limited to, veterans of Grenada, Panama, Lebanon, and cold war soldiers who served around the globe. Any veteran who lives within 75 miles of the Quad Cities is urged to apply,” according to a news release from Honor Flight of the Quad Cities (HFQC).
The mission expansion is being made to attract even more veterans to the local Honor Flights.
The nationwide Honor Flight Network consists of about 130 independent, regional hubs – including the QC – operating to transport veterans to Washington, D.C. Since 2005, these local hubs collectively have helped fly more than 300,000 veterans to visit their memorials.
Many of those Honor Flight hubs across the country have also expanded their missions or are “close to doing the same thing” as the Quad Cities, said Stephen Garrington, HFQC director.
Each local Honor Flight sent from the Quad Cities International Airport can have a maximum of about 80 veterans, 80 guardians and five or so administration officers.
The next local Honor Flight is scheduled for Wednesday, May 6. That flight is full, but Mr. Garrington urged local vets who are interested in going on the flight to sign up and be placed on a waiting list. He said there are times when a veteran booked on a flight has to cancel because of illness or other issues. To be placed on the waiting list, a veteran must submit an application along with their DD-214, DD-256, or NGB-22.
To register, go to the Honor Flight of the Quad Cities website. Near the bottom of the home page, there is a link for veterans and guardians to sign up.
After the May 6 flight, HFQC has two other scheduled flights this year – Monday, June 1, and Tuesday, Sept. 22.
Mr. Garrington, who has been associated with the QC Honor Flight group since it began in 2008, said he is motivated to keep doing the job because it helps a lot of veterans in the community.
“Helping others is a great thing. … Putting somebody else’s needs above yourself is the main thing to do,” he added.
Here are a few facts about the local hub:
- QC Honor Flights have taken about 6,000 veterans to Washington, D.C., to see the national memorials honoring their service. Most have been veterans who served during WWII, or the Korea and Vietnam conflicts.
- All flights depart on a non-stop charter from the QC airport in Moline to Washington, D.C. It will return that same day, at about 10 p.m.
- Top priority for the flights is given to veterans of World War II, Korea, and any veterans with a terminal illness.
- Applicants are called by Honor Flight officials about four to eight weeks before the flight to let them know that they have been selected for the next scheduled flight.
- For more information or to donate to QCHF, send mail to: Honor Flight of the Quad Cities, 4130 Northwest Blvd., Davenport, Iowa 52806; or call (563) 388-3592.
