Elizabeth Dole to help celebrate Honor Flight Network's 250,000 veteran milestone

TOPEKA, Kan. (WIBW) - Former Senator Elizabeth Dole will help celebrate a new milestone reached by the Honor Flight Network as it brings over 250,000 veterans to the nation’s capital.

To kick off Military Appreciation Month, the Honor Flight Network says on May 3 hundreds of dignitaries, veterans, volunteers, supporters and Honor Flight leaders will gather at the World War II Memorial in Washington, D.C. to commemorate a new milestone reached.

Honor Flight said in May it will have brought more than 250,000 veterans to the nation’s capital to visit the memorials that honor their service and sacrifice.

The Network noted that the Honorable Elizabeth Dole will serve as the Event Chairperson in honor of her late husband, Senator Bob Dole, a WWII veteran. The Doles are long-time supporters of the Honor Flights.

“Every Saturday morning that Bob and I spent greeting Honor Flight veterans at the World War II Memorial was a reminder that time does not diminish our veterans’ pride, emotions, or memories, even decades after returning home,” Elizabeth Dole said. “Honor Flight gives these veterans a remarkable gift—the gift of feeling the support and gratitude of their fellow Americans while experiencing the memorials that will stand in their honor, forever. Every American should feel compelled to support such a mission.”

In addition to Senator Dole, the Network said Deputy Secretary of Veterans Affairs Donald M. Remy, Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), and Congressman Mark Takano (D-CA) will deliver remarks, as well as Honor Flight leaders and sponsors.

The Network noted that distinguished guests include the White House, Members of Congress, key members of the Biden Administration and the Department of Defense.

“The Honor Flight program fosters deep connections among veterans through the shared bond of serving our country and the profound experiences from visiting the memorials,” Meredith Rosenbeck said, Honor Flight Network’s Chief Executive Officer. “This event celebrates the program’s great successes of the past and bolsters our future of serving new generations of veterans.”

Sponsors of the celebration include American Airlines, Veterans United Home Loans, Alaska Airlines, Snap-on, Inc., and Clear Secure, Inc.

The Network said Honor Flight trips allow veterans to experience monuments built in their honor alongside their brothers and sisters in arms and remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice for the country. Each year, with the help of volunteers and generous partners, it said it coordinates the travel of about 25,000 veterans from around the nation to the memorials and monuments in D.C.

All honored veterans travel for free.

The Network said it has a waitlist of about 50,000 veterans eager to visit the memorials built in their honor. It said generous donations and corporate support help it give veterans an exhilarating experience when visiting the nation’s war memorials.

For more information about the Honor Flight Network, click HERE.