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Honor Flight Prepares to Depart

Veterans from a previous Honor Flight pose for a photo
Honor Flight of the Quad Cities
Veterans from a previous Honor Flight pose for a photo

Tomorrow, 80 veterans will fly from the Quad Cities to Washington D.C for the last Honor Flight of the year.

The veterans will visit memorials in D.C, watch the changing of the guard at Arlington, and finally be welcomed home to the QC by their friends and family.

Steve Garrington, director of Honor Flight in the Quad Cities, says that for some veterans on the flight, this is the first time they've been thanked for their service.

"The main point is to say thank you to the veterans. Many of them have never been thanked for their service. There was no parades, there was no thanks, and this is our chance to make up for that."

For volunteers, or "guardians," on the flight, the experience is a memorable one as well. Garrington says in previous years, veterans have pratically adopted their guardians.

"I remember one guardian who was a single lady, who was invited to the veterans home for Thanksgiving and Christmas that next year. They do make some wonderful relationships."

Tomorrow's flight includes one veteran from World War II, three from the Korean War, and the rest from the Vietnam War. If interested in applying to join a flight as a guardian, or as a veteran, visit https://honorflightqc.org/.

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