Our penultimate mission of 2025 that took flight on September 17 marked two milestones in the history of Honor Flight Chicago. It was both our 125th flight and marked the 12,000th senior war hero we have transported to Washington, D.C., in honor of their service and sacrifice for our nation.
Honor Flight Chicago is proud to be the first hub of the 130 active hubs across the country to reach the 12K milestone, an achievement that has only been made possible by the thousands of dedicated volunteers and donors who have selflessly given of their time and their resources since our founding 17 years ago.
Our first flight in June of 2008 comprised 60 WWII Veterans and 45 guardians who boarded three coach buses in D.C. to tour the memorials. Our 125th flight featured 112 Veterans (three from Korea, 109 from Vietnam) as well as two Gold Star sisters traveling on six coach buses alongside 157 Guardians to ensure the best-possible experience for our heroes. We have grown so much!
Our flights now honor three generations of senior Veterans while our programming at home in Chicagoland has expanded into schools and communities, spreading our message of gratitude and respect for service throughout the Chicagoland area.
Still, we hear from too many Veterans that they have never heard of Honor Flight Chicago, or don’t think their service is deserving of our gratitude. As we celebrate the impact we have on our alumni and their communities, we humbly ask your help to continue spreading the word about our mission. EVERY Veteran—especially our Vietnam Veterans—deserves this experience and the Welcome Home they did not receive more than half a century ago.
We have one more opportunity to fly in 2025, and we can’t wait to see everyone next month to execute another one-day trip that is in fact a life-changing experience for those who deserve it most. See you then!
Edna Ho and Doug Meffley
Directors, Honor Flight Chicago
“It was magical! Amazing day. Everything was just wonderful. I couldn’t stop crying. My Guardian was perfect, taking lots of pictures and making sure I saw all of the important things. It was so special to have an escort that stopped traffic, it felt presidential. Once we got off the plane in Washington and Chicago there were people everywhere with their hands out to shake mine. I was in awe and overwhelmed at the entire experience. Thank you.”
— Vietnam Veteran Cedric Lewis
“The whole day was a highlight–a fantastic day. I never expected any of this. It just kept going, and it’s hard to describe. Every minute it got better and better. I’m not a very emotional person and it’s hard to accept. The people kept giving and giving. It was a day in all of my life that is one of the most memorable. I’ve seen the ending on TV but I was not expecting this, all of the people who showed up and the outpouring. I don’t know how I could ever repay you. It was so special. There were so many wonderful people, there’s no way I could name them all. I don’t know how you can make it any more special.”
— Vietnam Veteran Harold Noftz
“I will start off by saying it was an experience that was beyond words! It was difficult to stop crying! We wanted for nothing, we walked nowhere, we had wheelchairs waiting for us at every stop. From the time you check in it is constant care. At the Welcome Home I couldn’t hold it any longer, I broke and the tears flowed. I thought about the difference when I arrived home in 1968, heckled and spit on. Comparing it today’s event, the pride, the singing, the caring, the love. Overwhelming! What a beautiful day! Makes you speechless! Humbling experience! God Bless America!”
— Vietnam Veteran Walter Yanta
“I can’t express the joyful feeling this experience gave me. When I first came home from ‘over there’ people would ask where I got such a ‘lovely tan’ and I would say I was cruising the Islands because if I had mentioned that I was in Viet Nam (Cambodia and Thailand) I would get rude comments. I never understood what I did wrong and I wasn’t a ‘baby killer’ either. When I was drafted, my position was that I was called to duty by My Country and I had to make the best of it. We gave our all and that I am proud of. I’m still haunted by that rejection from people I thought I was fighting for. I still stand proud of my devotion to my country. What more can I say about the flight itself, it was refreshingly overwhelming. A very good and fulfilling day.”
— Vietnam Veteran Anthony Thomas
