Vets on board the Old Glory Honor Flight on August 31st, 2021. (WTAQ/Robert Kennedy)
APPLETON, WI (WTAQ) – After being grounded for nearly two years, another casualty of COVID 19, Northeast Wisconsin Old Glory Honor Flight is ready for liftoff once again.
This morning, what’s labeled as Mission 54 will fly 99 northeast Wisconsin military veterans, and their guardians, from Appleton International Airport to Washington D.C. for a day of touring the monuments and memorials built in their honor.
One of the stops will be the Vietnam Wall, the war most of the veterans on this flight served in. Other stops on the schedule include the Korean War Memorial, The World War Two Memorial and the Lincoln Memorial.
The veterans will also go through Arlington National Cemetery, where they will visit the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and have front row seats to observe the changing of the guard ceremony.
There will also be a tour of the city as part of the day’s activities.
Safety precautions, including masking in airports, on planes and buses, and in other indoor areas will be required.
Veterans observe the Vietnam War Memorial in Washington D.C. (Robert Kennedy/WTAQ)
The Honor Flight, transportation around D.C. and meals are free of charge for the veterans as a way of saying thank you for their sacrifices and their service.
And the public gets a chance to say thank you to the veterans as well. The ‘Welcome Home’ celebration tonight is open to the public starting at 7:30 pm.
All attendees are required to wear masks inside the Appleton International Airport due to current TSA regulations. Parking is free.
Old Glory Honor Flight plans to continue to transport veterans from northwest Wisconsin to Washington d.c. throughout the summer.
