As Honor Flight of the Ozarks prepares for its next flight, 81 veterans, 81 guardians and a special guest met at Springfield-Branson National Airport for a flight briefing on July 28.
The special guest was Phoenix, a 35-year-old bald eagle from the Dickerson Park Zoo. Phoenix greeted the veterans in the airport lobby and in the Pledge of Allegiance meeting room.
There are three Korean War veterans and 78 Vietnam War veterans on this flight. Ten of the veterans are from Arkansas and live in Alpena, Clarkridge, Siloam Springs, Rogers, Mountain Home and Cave Springs. Two are from the Joplin area and four of the veterans are women. The entire group will depart Springfield for Washington, DC at 5 a.m. on August 14 and return overnight.
A new feature of this flight is “Through the Eyes of the Guardians.” Guardians on the flight will take photos during the trip, email them back, and they will be shown on a large screen at the airport for friends and family to view while waiting for the plane to return. Flight coordinator David Snider has suggested that anyone who wants to welcome the veterans home should be at Springfield-Branson National Airport between 8:00 and 8:30 p.m. on August 14.
The final Honor Flight of the year is scheduled for October 16. Any veteran living in southwest Missouri or northwest Arkansas who has been honorably discharged from the military can participate in an Honor Flight for free. The veteran must have served in World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War era or the Gulf War. They did not have to serve overseas. Companions accompanying the veterans participate in the trip for $500. Applications for veterans, companions and volunteers are available at honorflightoftheozarks.org.
