The fans at last year's Hodag Countryfest are to be thanked so veterans from north central Wisconsin can see the nation's capitol and war memorials.
The Never Forgotten Honor Flight organization based in Wausau will fly 5 WWII, 34 Korean War and 50 Vietnam War era veterans from central and northern Wisconsin to Washington, D.C. to see the memorials that honor their service today.
It’s the organization’s 31st flight since the first Never Forgotten Honor Flight took place April 27, 2010.
Co-founder Jim Campbell says last year's country music fans in Rhinelander made this trip possible...
"...the ladies that run Hodag raised enough money(at Countryfest) to pay for the entire flight. So their logo and name will be on all the paraphernalia that is supplied to the veterans..."
Campbell says the cost of the flight is $70,000. He says Countryfest organizers held raffles and had donation jars around the grounds and the tens of thousands of visitors contributed to make the flight possible.
Sixty-two guardians will accompany the vets on the one-day round trip that leaves Central Wisconsin Airport.The flight is scheduled to return at approximately 10 p.m. The public is invited to the Central Wisconsin Airport to welcome the veterans home tonight..
After Monday’s trip, the Never Forgotten Honor Flight will have taken 2,836 veterans to Washington, D.C. during the past eight years.
Any veterans from World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War eras are encouraged to submit an application as soon as possible. The only criteria for veterans to qualify for an Honor Flight is to have served during the years listed on the application website, regardless of where they served.
