BETTENDORF, IA - Approximately one hundred veterans will experience the first ever Vietnam Veteran honor flight in September 2016.
The event, hosted by Honor Flight of the Quad Cities, will celebrate these veterans by providing an experience for them to enjoy a dinner before they take off and spend their day touring war memorials and monuments in Washington D.C.
While in Washington D.C., the veterans will take part in a special service near the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.
“They will join together, they will be able to talk to each other and share experiences, share laughter, maybe even a few tears…” said Steve Garrington, Hub Director of Honor Flights of the Quad Cities.
The flight will depart from the Quad City International Airport on September 15, 2016. The veterans will spend the day in Washington D.C. and return that same night.
Garrington said he hopes to see the community welcome the veterans home upon their return.
“They didn’t really get a welcome home the first time so this is our chance...” said Garrington.
The Quad City International Airport has offered free parking passes for anyone who attends.
The honor flights are possible because of community donations. Sponsors presented the organizers with a check for $50,000 on Thursday, June 17.
While this will be the first flight for Vietnam veterans, more than 3,000 area veterans have had the opportunity to travel to Washington D.C. since the program landed in the Quad Cities in 2008.
Garrington said that the Quad Cities hub is one of the most active within the organization.