Regional — (OBCBTC) — Midwest Honor Flight’s Board of Directors made the difficult decision to postpone all their 2020 scheduled flights out of caution for the Veterans, Guardians, and Crew.
This heartbreaking decision was not made lightly as many hours of planning have taken place to make these flights possible. This change comes after the National Honor Flight Network announced their Lone Eagle trips, which are conducted by the Network staff for terminal Veterans and those without home Hubs, are also postponed until 2021.
This decision has an immediate impact on their 2020 Missions; August 22 (Lyon County Riverboat Foundation Mission 7), September 5 (Clifford & LaVonne Graese Foundation Mission 8), September 19 (Mission 9), and October 10 (Mission 10).
Guardian Training opportunities for these flights have also been postponed. No Veterans or Guardians had been confirmed for these flights but those that were up for consideration will be receiving this release along with an additional letter with more information.
“Our first priority on every Midwest Honor Flight Mission is the safety of our Veterans, our Guardians, and our Crew,” says Aaron Van Beek, the President of Midwest Honor Flight. “With all the unknowns, we decided to wait until traveling and gathering restrictions are lifted to ensure all our Veterans have a safe and enjoyable trip in Washington, D.C. This decision was certainly not taken lightly as numerous hours have been given by our faithful volunteers in an effort to bring our local Veterans out to see their memorials. However, safety is, and will always be, our number one priority. We appreciate everyone’s continued support and patience as we work through these challenging times and look forward to seeing everyone again at upcoming events and Missions in the future.”
Midwest Honor Flight will continue to monitor the situation and keep our communities informed of any future updates. If you were being considered for a Midwest Honor Flight Mission, we know you will have questions. We will be sharing more information to all Veterans and Guardians that were being considered for these flights as soon as we are able to.
Donations and applications are still being accepted during this time. To donate, to apply, or to learn more about our Mission and organization, please visit our website at http://www.midwesthonorflight.org. Midwest Honor Flight is an official 501(c)(3) non-profit. All donations are tax deductible to the extent allowed by law.
Story courtesy of our news partner, the O’Brien County Bell-Times-Courier newspaper.
