Service members stand in formation at a Veterans Day ceremony. | Wikimedia Commons
Service members stand in formation at a Veterans Day ceremony. | Wikimedia Commons
Honor Flight of Greater Dubuque is offering flights to veterans, but this time the program is also open to Vietnam and Korean war veterans.
Only World War II Veterans were eligible when the free flights started 10 years ago. There were 10 trips to Washington D.C. to visit the WWII Memorial before operations stopped, Director Perry Mason said, according to Radio Iowa.
The flights gave the veterans a chance to share their stories and heal, Mason said.
“This is going to give us an opportunity to let them know that — yes, what they did was appreciated — and we can say thank you," he said.
Although there is no cost to veterans, the group does raise money to help fund the trips. The flights cost the hub approximately $600 per person.
Mason said he is hoping to get the same support as before.
“Everyone came out of the woodwork to help us,” he said. “It was really a cool thing to watch."
Tentative dates for the flights are Sept. 21 and Sept. 22. Mason said the plan is for back-to-back flights.
Applications for the Honor Flight can be found at honorflightdbq.org, or by calling Mason at 563-690-0815. Flight requests will be honored in the order in which applications are received. Terminally ill and WWII veterans receive first priority, Korean and Vietnam veterans will follow in that order.
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