First Honor Flight Network trip to D.C. for Hawaii’s veterans returned to Honolulu on Veterans Day with military welcome
On November 11, in honor of Veterans Day, Honor Flight Network’s first flight from Honolulu to Washington, D.C. returned to Hawaii after bringing veterans to visit our nation’s capital.
HONOLULU, HI– On November 11, in honor of Veterans Day, Honor Flight Network’s first flight from Honolulu to Washington, D.C. returned to Hawaii after bringing veterans to visit our nation’s capital. Aboard the flight were 28 Hawaii veterans who were able to experience the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to visit monuments built in their honor alongside their comrades and reflect on those who made the ultimate sacrifice for their country.
The returning veterans were given a hero’s welcome complete with a military band, and dozens of supporters and volunteers cheering their arrival. Welcoming remarks were delivered by Honor Flight Network CEO Meredith Rosenbeck, Alaska Airlines CEO Ben Minicucci, Hawai‘i Governor David Ige, and Congressman Ed Case. First Lady Dawn Amano-Ige was also in attendance. Grammy-nominated producer, singer-songwriter and Native Hawaiian recording artist, Kimié Miner sang the National Anthem for the event.
“I can only imagine the profound joy these Hawaii veterans experienced this week in our nation’s capital and upon their return to Hawaii on Veterans Day,” said Rosenbeck. “This is exactly what the Honor Flight program is designed to do - allow our nation’s veterans the opportunity to see the memorials built in their honor. We are so thankful for the incredible support from Alaska Airlines and look forward to delivering more Honor Flight experiences with them in the future.”
Since 2005, Honor Flight Network has provided over 250,000 veterans across the country the experience
of visiting our nation’s war memorials. Veterans or families of veterans interested in applying for a trip can visit www.honorflight.org. More trips for Hawaii veterans are being planned for 2023 and beyond.
Participation in an Honor Flight trip allows veterans to witness the memorials built in their honor together with their brethren while remembering those who made the greatest sacrifice for our country. As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, each year with the help of volunteers and generous partners, Honor Flight Network coordinates the travel of approximately 22,000 veterans annually from around the country. All honored veterans travel at no cost to them.
About Honor Flight Network
The Honor Flight Network was formed in 2005 with a mission of honoring our nation’s veterans by bringing them to Washington, D.C. to visit the memorials and monuments dedicated to their service and sacrifice. The Honor Flight Network is currently comprised of over 130 hubs throughout the country dedicated to carrying out the Honor Flight mission. In addition to World War II veterans, the organization currently honors those who served in the Korean War, Vietnam War, intermediary operations, and in special cases of terminal illness or injury, veterans from more recent service eras. Since 2005, the Honor Flight Network has taken over 250,000 veterans to Washington D.C. For more information, visit honorflight.org.
About Alaska Airlines
Alaska Airlines and its regional partners serve more than 120 destinations across the United States, Belize, Canada, Costa Rica and Mexico. We emphasize Next-Level Care for our guests, along with providing low fares, award-winning customer service and sustainability efforts. Alaska is a member of the oneworld global alliance. With the alliance and our additional airline partners, guests can travel to more than 1,000 destinations on more than 20 airlines while earning and redeeming miles on flights to locations around the world. Learn more about Alaska at news.alaskaair.com. Alaska Airlines and Horizon Air are subsidiaries of Alaska Air Group (NYSE: ALK).
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