Honor Flight trip will be first to include Korean War veterans

| 06 Apr 2015 | 04:38

— The Hudson Valley Honor Flight's next trip on April 11 will be the first to include a large number of Korean War veterans.

Previously, top priority was given to World War II veterans and terminally ill veterans from other wars to visit the memorials in their honor in the nation's Capital. The Korean War veterans will make a special trip to visit the Korean War Memorial while in Washington.

The flight will carry 24 Korean War vets, and 83 veterans total, along with 104 volunteers. The itinerary includes visits to the World War II Memorial, the Korean War Memorial, Arlington National Cemetery, Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and the Iwo Jima Memorial, before the group returns home from Reagan National Airport.

The public is invited to cheer on the veterans at Stewart International Airport, 1180 First St., New Windsor, and give them the send-off and welcome home that many never received. The pre-flight ceremony is scheduled for 7:45 a.m., and the welcome home reception will be at 8:30 p.m.

The next flight is May 9 from Westchester County Airport.

About Hudson Valley Honor Flight

Hudson Valley Honor Flight (HVHF) is a nonprofit organization which honors American veterans for their sacrifices. HVHF transports them to Washington, D.C., to visit their memorials at no cost to them.

It is the local hub of the National Honor Flight Network, which consists of more than 100 independent non-profit “hubs” across America. HVHF flies multiple times a year out of Stewart International Airport and Westchester County Airport. It serves veterans from the following counties: Orange, Ulster, Dutchess, Westchester, Rockland, Sullivan, Putnam , Pike (Pa.), Bergen (N.J.), and Fairfield (Conn.). Veterans from other surrounding counties are considered as well.

For more information, visit http://hvhonorflight.com.