The Never Forgotten Honor Flight organization based in Wausau will fly five WWII, 34 Korean War and 50 Vietnam War era veterans from central and northern Wisconsin to Washington, D.C. to see the memorials that honor their service on Monday, April 23. It’s the organization’s 31st flight since the first Never Forgotten Honor Flight took place April 27, 2010.
Sixty-two guardians will accompany the vets on the one-day round trip that departs Central Wisconsin Airport at 6:30 a.m. and is scheduled to return at approximately 10 p.m. The public is invited to the Central Wisconsin Airport to welcome the veterans home Monday night, and Honor Flight officials recommend arriving no later than 8:30 p.m. Free parking for those welcoming the veterans home will be provided.
After Monday’s trip, the Never Forgotten Honor Flight will have taken 2,836 veterans to Washington, D.C. during the past eight years. Any veterans from World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War eras are encouraged to submit an application as soon as possible. The only criteria for veterans to qualify for an Honor Flight is to have served during the years listed on the application/our website, regardless of where they served.
Veterans receive a free round-trip flight, and guardians pay $500 for the opportunity to accompany one or two veterans on the trip. Veterans and guardians interested in taking a future Honor Flight must complete an application at: www.neverforgottenhonorflight.org or contact the organization at 715-573-8519. The veterans are selected based upon the order in which their applications are received and the conflict they served in. Preference is given to World War II veterans, then Korea Veterans and then Vietnam era veterans. Veterans who are terminally ill, regardless of when they served in those three eras, are given top preference. Guardians should be 18-69 years old and able to lend physical assistance to the veterans. Completed applications for veterans and guardians also can be mailed to Never Forgotten Honor Flight, 4404 Rib Mountain Drive, #234, Wausau, WI 54401.
North Central Wisconsin’s Never Forgotten Honor Flight is the nation’s 77th regional hub and one of five Wisconsin Honor Flight hubs. The Wausau-based organization was certified by the National Honor Flight Network office in Springfield, Ohio on Dec. 11, 2009. The Never Forgotten Honor Flight Hub serves veterans in Marathon, Portage, Wood, Taylor, Langlade, Lincoln, Oneida, Vilas, Iron, Barron, Price and Rusk counties.