Freedom Honor Flight announces 2015 flights
Hub plans flights number 15 and 16 and beyond
March 31, 2015, La Crosse, Wis. – Freedom Honor Flight, the La Crosse hub of the national Honor Flight program for veterans, announced its 2015 flight schedule. The spring and fall flights are scheduled for May 2 and October 17, 2015.
Veterans for the May 2 flight were selected from applications on file, including 28 World War II, 51 Korean War and one Vietnam War veterans. Veterans are selected in order of application, with priority status given to World War II veterans and then Korean War veterans. The Vietnam War veteran on the spring flight was selected through the TLC program, which grants terminally ill veterans priority status.
Veterans and guardians assigned to the May flight were notified earlier this month.
With two flights planned for 2015, Freedom Honor Flight expects to serve all the World War II veterans currently on the waiting list. Freedom Honor Flight’s president, Pat Stephens shared, “We have 284 Korean War veterans on our list, plus 112 Vietnam War veterans. Thanks to generous supporters like Culvers, we can continue to organize flights to eventually honor them all.”
The organizers announced Culvers is holding their Freedom Honor Flight fundraiser for a second year. Participating area Culvers will be donating 10% of their proceeds on May 19 to Freedom Honor Flight.
The group encourages those World War II and Korean War veterans to apply for future flights. Physicians and paramedics on each flight help with oxygen, medication and personal needs, enabling those with chronic health problems or disabilities to attend. Guardians assigned to each veteran provide additional assistance.
Applications are available at veterans’ organizations or online at www.freedomhonorflight.org.
About Freedom Honor Flight, Inc. Freedom Honor Flight is the first Wisconsin affiliate of the national network of Honor Flight organizations. The hub, which is based in La Crosse, serves 25 counties in western Wisconsin, southeast Minnesota and northern Iowa. The group’s mission is to organize and fly groups of veterans to Washington D.C. to visit the war memorials that stand in their honor. The group receives no government funding and depends on donations, which are tax deductible to the full extent of the law. Learn more at www.freedomhonorflight.com.