Honor Flight Is Taking Applications — and Southwest Florida Veterans Should Not Wait to File One
The free trips to Washington's memorials run just twice a year, the waiting list already averages about three flights, and priority goes to World War II and Korean War veterans and those facing life-limiting illnesses. November, veterans' month, is the time to apply.
Southwest Florida Honor Flight is taking applications from area veterans for its free one-day trips to Washington, D.C., to visit the memorials built in their honor — and the organization is urging veterans not to sit on the paperwork, because demand already runs ahead of the seats.
Any U.S. military veteran who has not previously taken an Honor Flight may apply, whether they served in wartime or peacetime, in combat or stateside. Applicants are currently being placed on a waiting list that averages approximately three flights, depending on individual circumstances. Priority goes to World War II and Korean War veterans, and to veterans facing life-limiting illnesses. The organization flies two missions a year, and every veteran flies free.
The need to plan ahead is not abstract: in October, more than 150 veterans returned to a hero's welcome at Sarasota Bradenton International Airport after a Southwest Florida Honor Flight mission to the capital. The organization serves veterans across seven counties in the region.
Applications are available at swflhonorflight.org. The program is funded by donations and community fundraisers — including the organization's fall golf tournament, scheduled for Saturday, November 14 at Aileron Golf Club in Lake Suzy, whose proceeds go toward transporting veterans on an upcoming flight.
