BY Robert Salant
Honor Flight Long Island, the volunteer-run veterans organization, is proud to announce that the fall flight to Washington, D.C. is scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 5. This flight will take 46 Long Island veterans to visit their military memorials, meet with service branch representatives, commiserate with fellow veterans and exchange stories.
Honor Flight’s mission is to honor fellow Long Islanders who served in the United States Armed Forces to preserve our freedoms by providing free, one-day trips so they can visit their D.C. memorials.
Honor Flight president Bill Jones said, “Our Fall Flight includes 43 Vietnam War veterans who will receive long overdue recognition and thanks for their service. They’ll be accompanied on this flight by three elder comrades, veterans of the Korean War.”
“What this flight really represents is a ‘Big Hug’ to all of our veterans from Honor Flight, their families, and supporters, who make such flights possible,” Jones said.
These 46 veterans will take a free, early-morning Southwest flight to Washington, D.C. Departing from Islip MacArthur Airport at 6:05 a.m., veterans and their guardians will visit the World War II, Korean War, and Vietnam War Memorials, Arlington National Cemetery for a Changing of the Guard, plus the Air Force and Iwo Jima Memorials.
They’ll return to Islip that evening at 10:05 p.m. for a rousing welcome by the Saffron United Pipe Band, plus thunderous applause from hundreds of family, friends, and supporters!
A major donation from the Hicksville Veterans Association to Honor Flight Long Island, will pay for the cost of all veterans on this flight.
According to Vincent Morreale, chairman of the Hicksville Veterans Association and a Vietnam veteran, “10 of our members were honored by an Honor Flight in the Spring of 2022 and were overwhelmed by the experience.”
“We are so proud and delighted to sponsor this October 5th flight for our fellow veterans,” he said.
Four members of the Hicksville Veterans Association from the 2022 flight, will serve as guardians on this flight, and six members will be flying as veterans for the first time. Bill Jones said Honor Flight Long Island is humbled by this generous donation. “Thank you, Vincent and your members, this donation means a lot in our continuing mission to honor Long Island’s veterans,” Jones said.
Next on the Honor Flight schedule is the Veterans reunion on Saturday, Dec. 14, at the American Airpower Museum, Hangar 3, 1230 New Highway, Farmingdale, NY.
Come and cheer these heroes during the “Ceremony of Honors,” as each receives a personalized Tribute Journal full of photos taken during their D.C. trip.
This great patriotic event includes speeches by HFLI President Bill Jones and AAM President Jeff Clyman. The U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary Flotilla Band will play a popular patriotic medley known as the “Armed Forces Salute,” featuring the six official musical themes of the U.S. Armed Forces: Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air and Space Forces, and Coast Guard. Free refreshments for all provided by Honor Flight.
The reunion runs from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. The public is welcome to attend for free. Museum opens at 12:00 p.m. and everyone is encouraged to come early and enjoy the exhibits before and after the reunion. For information about AAM, call (631) 293-6398 or email www.americanairpowermuseum.org.
Honor Flight is accepting applications from veterans of WWII, Korea and Vietnam. Long Island veterans are encouraged to sign up by going to the HFLI website, www.honorflightlongisland.org. It’s important to submit an application, as that will guarantee placement on our list.
Veterans fly for free, thanks to donations from across Long Island. They are accompanied by guardians, able-bodied volunteers who donate $400 (tax deductible) to offset their travel costs. If there is no family member to act as a guardian, Honor Flight has volunteers ready to step up for the privilege of escorting our heroes to their memorials.
Questions? Call Jamie Bowden at (631) 702-2423 or email JBowden@southamptontownny.gov.
Robert Salant is a representative for the American Airpower Museum.
