Seventy-two Tri-State veterans and their guardians take an Honor Flight from Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport (CVG) today, destined for Washington D.C.
The group is scheduled to see memorials and participate in ceremonies that honor their service to their country.
Honor Flight Tri-State’s sole mission is to fly veterans 65 and over, who served stateside or overseas, to their memorials in Washington, D.C. at no cost. All veterans traveling on this flight are from the Greater Cincinnati, Northern Kentucky and South Eastern Indiana area.
“Our goal is to honor as many veterans as we can,” said Cheryl Popp, director of Honor Flight Tri-State.
The flight will include visits to the World War II Memorial, Korean War Memorial, Vietnam War Memorial, Iwo Jima, Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, the US Air Force Memorial and other Washington D.C. sights.
The flight departed CVG at 8 a.m. It was preceded by bag pipes from the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Department, a TSA color guard ceremony and other special remarks in the area near the east end of the security checkpoint.
“Hosting these events is a privilege for CVG,” said Candace McGraw, chief executive officer, CVG. “Honoring our national heroes in such a unique way brings everyone in attendance a lot of joy. It is a great experience for all involved.”
The return flight to CVG will arrive at 10:30 p.m. Members of the public are invited to attend the welcome celebration in the baggage claim level of the terminal.
A total of 150 people will be on the American Airlines chartered flight. Each veteran is accompanied by a guardian, 60 percent of the guardians are family and 40 percent of the guardians are volunteers.
The other 2016 Honor Flight Tri-State dates are:
· Tuesday, May 17, 2016
· Tuesday, August 30, 2016
· Tuesday, September 20, 2016
· Tuesday, October 25, 2016
To contribute or volunteer for Honor Flight Tri-State, click here .
CVG