Guest blog post by Dr. Lisa Chaplin, national Veterans Affairs & Rehabilitation Committee chair

The Honor Flight Network is a nonprofit organization founded in 2005 and is comprised of about 130 independent hubs across the country with a common goal — to honor veterans from World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War by providing an all-expenses-paid trip to Washington, D.C. to visit their memorials, to honor their service, and provide them the recognition they deserve.

While most every state has an Honor Flight hub and some have more than one, not every region has a local hub. That’s where Lone Eagle Honor Flight fills the gaps to make certain that all eligible veterans are able to be part of an Honor Flight, regardless of their geographic location. Additionally, the Lone Eagle TLC Program (“Their Last Chance”) serves terminally ill veterans of any service era who have less than one year to live.

Most of us have heard of Honor Flight, and depending upon the point of origin, travel may be by airline or bus. Many of our American Legion Family members volunteer as guardians, who are the individuals accompanying veterans one-to-one on Honor Flight trips, assisting them during travel and throughout their visit to D.C. and their memorials.

One ALA member who has been a guardian on several flights recalls that “…each Honor Flight is different, and each veteran has the same reaction — how they are touched by the reaction of crowds when they are visiting their monument, how they are thanked for their service, and sometimes it is overwhelming for them.” She added that it can be an emotional experience for the guardian/volunteer as well. 

But what if you can’t participate as a guardian? There are many other ways we can get involved with this amazing program. Consider participating in a local send-off event where you can organize a patriotic celebration in veterans’ honor to show your support as they begin their trip, participate in a heroes’ welcome ceremony to greet them when they arrive in D.C., or immediately after their tours at a post for a dinner to recognize and honor them if you are located in the D.C. area. You can also participate by writing letters and cards of appreciation for Mail Call, another emotionally charged event where written messages are given to veterans on their way back home. You can also participate in a patriotic welcome-home event when they return from their trip. 

Did you know that the ALA is sponsoring an all-female Lone Eagle Honor Flight April 13-15? Be sure to keep your eye on ALA National Headquarters' social media during that time to see the events unfold.

All of these tours are funded by donations from corporate sponsors, community partners, and like-minded organizations and their members. Since 2021, the ALA has had a formal memorandum of understanding with Honor Flight Inc. to support the collective mission to honor and celebrate veterans. The good news is, your ALA Poppy Funds can be used for direct donations and for some specific items for the veteran and for the guardian as listed here. 

You can learn more about Honor Flight Network at www.honorflight.com and Lone Eagle Honor Flight at https://loneeagle.honorflight.org.