Land of Lincoln Honor Flight Mission #62 is preparing for take-off tomorrow. Ninety-six Veterans (1 World War II, 2 Korean War and 93 Vietnam War Era) will be on board a flight from Springfield Abraham Lincoln Capitol Airport to Washington, DC.
LLHF President Joan Bortolon said, "We are looking forward to serving our veterans on Honor Flight #62. These veterans served with honor to defend our freedom and earned this day of gratitude and respect. This day of honor is provided at absolutely no cost to our Veterans. They have paid enough; it is our turn to pay them back.”
These heroes return to the newly renovated Springfield airport at 9:30 PM on Tuesday evening. The general public, friends and family, and LLHF alumni veterans are encouraged to pack the airport to welcome home these heroes. Bortolon states: "The Welcome Home crowd at the Springfield Airport ensures that these Veterans receive the welcome home they earned and deserve. Most of our Veterans did not receive a welcome home upon their discharge and have told us that the welcome home in Springfield is one of the most rewarding parts of the experience.” Greeters are encouraged to arrive early and show appreciation for and support of these Veterans who sacrificed so much for our country. Parking assistance and a parking lot shuttle bus will be available for those attending this event.
Land of Lincoln Honor Flight is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization that receives no government funding. It is only able to honor Veterans due to the generous donations, sponsorships, fundraising events, merchandise sales and supporting efforts of the many local businesses, individuals and organizations within our service area. Land of Lincoln Honor Flight is operated by all volunteers; it has no paid staff, no office and no utilities costs.
Land of Lincoln Honor Flight still has a waiting list of over 500 veterans waiting for a future flight. However, LLHF is still encouraging new applications. Since its inception in 2009, Land of Lincoln Honor Flight has been privileged to serve 4,827 veterans on 62 flights. Additional 2022 flights are planned for September 27 and November 1.