Northwest Iowa — While recent “honor flights” have recognized veterans of World War Two, Korea and Vietnam, a new honor flight is being organized for those who served in conflicts in the Middle East.
Bill Williams, a co-founder of the non-profit group Patriotic Productions, which puts on the flights, says this initial new flight to Washington DC for veterans from western Iowa and Nebraska will be limited.
Bronze Star recipients are also welcome to apply for the flight, scheduled for May 24th. Williams says some other VIPs will also be making the journey.
The chartered jet will fly out of Omaha’s Eppley Airfield for a day-long whirlwind tour of Washington DC, including stops at several war memorials and Arlington National Cemetery’s Tomb of the Unknowns. There will be a special homecoming in Omaha that night.
The last honor flight, which was for Vietnam veterans, saw a crowd of about seven-thousand gathered at the Omaha airport to welcome the veterans back from DC.
Veterans of Desert Storm, Iraq and Afghanistan who earned the Purple Heart or Bronze Star can apply for the May flight. Applications are available at the website: www.patrioticproductions.org.
