ESCANABA, Mich. (WZMQ) – On May 3, The Upper Peninsula Honor Flight left for Washington, D.C.
Throughout the day, veterans are touring military memorials and monuments in the nation’s capital.
“The Honor Flight is a chance for us to show our appreciation for the veterans and what they did for our freedoms that we enjoy today,” said Scott Knauf, Upper Peninsula Honor Flight president.
The 76 veterans on the trip, along with many of their loved ones, arrived at the Delta County Airport bright and early to prepare for takeoff. They were greeted by the Gladstone High School Chorus and Band.
Veteran John Lancour served in the National Guard for 41 years. Before the flight, he said he was looking forward to connecting with his family’s military history through the monuments.
“My dad was in World War II and I had uncles, and they would never talk about it,” Lancour said. “It’s nice to go see different items and say, ‘Oh, well this is what it’s basically all about and why did I serve my country.'”
Lancour also says the Honor Flight is an experience veterans can use to pass the importance of military service on to younger generations.
“They’re really not joining the military because they don’t have to,” he said. “There’s no draft. This way you explain to them, ‘Well this is why you protect your country.'”
The next U.P. Honor Flight is scheduled for September 13, 2023. Knauf encourages any veteran who has not been on the trip before to get on the waitng list for the next flight.
“So many veterans keep saying, ‘Let the older guys go first,'” he said. “Well, the old guys have gone already. We do not have any World War II veterans on our waitlist any longer, so now is the time for the Vietnam veterans to sign up and go with us on this trip of honor.”
The Upper Peninsula Honor Flight will return around 9:30 the same evening.
Click here to see how organizers honored the veterans at the pre-flight banquet.
