Inaugural Honor Flight from Hawaiʻi will pay tribute to 26 local veterans

For the first time, a group of veterans from Hawai‘i will be making the journey to Washington, DC as part of the Honor Flight Network. Lone Eagle Honor Flight is the national program that serves veterans in areas where there is currently no hub.

The Honor Flight Network pays tribute and honors veterans of WWII, Korea, and Vietnam with a trip to the nation’s capital to visit and reflect at the memorials built in their honor. It’s also a way to treasure and remember the individual stories of these men and women who have given a lifetime of service. 

“We are thrilled to bring the veterans of Hawai‘i to the US continent for a tour of honor, many for the first and only time. An Honor Flight trip comes at no cost or expense to the honored veterans, thanks to the generous support of individuals and businesses around the country. For this launch, Alaska Airlines has donated the travel for both the veterans and guardians,” organizers said.

The mid-August announcement of this premier flight drew overwhelming interest and the organization received more than 100 applications filling this inaugural flight in less than 24 hours. Twenty-six Hawai‘i veterans – three WWII, six Korean and 17 Vietnam Era – are confirmed for the trip, along with guardians and staff to assist the senior travelers. One WWII veteran is 99 and will celebrate his 100^th birthday shortly after returning from DC.

The Alaska Airlines flight will depart Honolulu on Monday, Nov. 7 and return on Veteran’s Day, Friday, Nov. 11. During the trip the veterans will spend Nov. 9 and 10 visiting the memorials on the National Mall, along with viewing the Changing of the Guard at Arlington Cemetery. Other monuments and memorials will be added to the itinerary as time permits.

“On behalf of the State of Hawai‘i, I want to commend Honor Flight Network for providing a memorable experience for over 245,000 deserving veterans to date, and now including our local veterans from Hawai‘i,” said Hawai‘i Governor David Ige. “We are proud to help support the efforts of Honor Flight at the Daniel K. Inouye International Airport and look forward to continuing to assist them for many years to come.”

Meredith Rosenbeck, CEO of Honor Flight Network, noted that there are more than 35,000 veterans of these three wars residing in Hawai‘i and waiting for their chance to fly with Honor Flight. Rosenbeck said, “We thank all of our supporters and volunteers who have helped to make this flight possible including our partners Alaska Airlines, the Daniel K. Inouye International Airport and the USO of Hawai‘i. We hope that the community will continue to support Honor Flight Network so that we can give all our heroes their day of honor.”