Veteran paratroopers sit in the restored Dakota plane they flew in the Battle of Britain

Scot and I spent some time this morning talking with Janine Idstein and Rochelle Keener of the Rock River Valley Chapter of the Veterans Network Committee. The topic was Honor Flights for veterans.

For those who may be unaware, The Honor Flight Network is an outstanding national organization that flies veterans to Washington D.C. to visit their memorials, all at NO COST to the veteran. This program presently has 127 hubs in 41 states. Through the end of 2012 the Honor Flight Network has transported nearly 100,000 veterans to see their memorials.

Up until now, veterans in the Rock River Valley who were interested in participating in Honor Flight would have had to add their names to long waiting lists in Chicago, McHenry or other Honor Flight hubs.

The new Rock River Valley Chapter, in partnership with the Veterans Network Committee Honor Flight hub in McHenry, have begun their fundraising efforts to send 6 veterans from the Rock River Valley (along with their guardians) on the Washington trip scheduled for August 21-23, 2014. This 3 day trip is absolutely free to the veterans and includes airfare, hotel accommodations, ground transportation, meals, and tours of the World War II memorial and the rest of the national mall.

To help send these brave men to Washington, a viewing of the Honor Flight movie will take place Wednesday, May 14th, at 2pm at Veterans Memorial Hall, 211 North Main St., Rockford. All the money raised will go toward sending 6 veterans from the Rock River Valley on the Honor Flight trip.

Can you help?

Here's how you can get more info or make a donation:

Janine Idstein (815) 298-2556

Rochelle Keener (815) 721-4860

Dylen Larsen (815) 975-9132

or, email rrvhonorflight@gmail.com

If you'd like to send a check, please make it payable to:

Veterans Network Committee

521 S. State St., Suite 1

Belvidere, IL, 61008

Here's more on Honor Flights:

 

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