North Country Honor Flight readies for 2026 tours

PLATTSBURGH | North Country Honor Flight has four dates set to get wings up and trips underway for 112 veterans this year. Ceremonies at Plattsburgh Barracks Veterans Park on the U.S. Oval are held to honor groups of men and women who served. In their 14th year, North Country Honor Flight travels to memorial sites in Washington, D.C. is scheduled for May 16, June 20, Sept. 5 and Oct. 3. NCHF Executive Officer Jerika Manning said coordination is underway for this year's honorees. Each plane carries 14 veterans. And every veteran travels with a guardian, often a family member or a close friend. Flight Leaders take time to meet with them before ceremonies begin. "Each plane has a Flight Leader; we have two Flight Leaders per trip," Manning said. "Once they are given the list of names, they visit every veteran to make sure they get their hats, their shirts, and to make sure they have the name spelling right for the jackets." That time spent in preparation before the trip also creates individual biographies presented at the pre-flight ceremony, a brief mémoire that shares the veteran's branch of military service, when they joined the military, what they did and sometimes a poignant memory. "A lot of times, preparing the biography is the most important part of every ceremony," Manning said, "as veterans talk about their service, sharing stories about when and where they served. The conversation provides the base for each biography. Flight Leaders also learn about any dietary or mobility restrictions, such as the need for a wheelchair. It gives Flight Leaders a chance to put eyes on every veteran and to learn about them, making sure all needs are provided for on the flight, on the tour, and as they make their way through Washington, D.C." Manning said North Country Honor Flight sets the travel roster as far in advance as they can. "The lists for each flight can change as the summer progresses, due to veterans' and their guardians' availability. We do have a few Korean War veterans slated to fly this summer, according to availability. We have a lot of Vietnam War veterans joining us. We've encouraged more Vietnam veterans to sign up, some had felt for many years that it was too early and wanted to let the other, older guys and gals go. We try to encourage them respectfully: it is their time to go." North Country Honor Flight, based in Plattsburgh, is also open to veterans from large parts of Vermont, which doesn't have an Honor Flight hub. Sometimes, veterans who served at Plattsburgh Air Force Base come here to their former home for an Honor Flight. "We do support Honor Flights for most of Vermont, though some parts of the state are shared with New Hampshire's Honor Flight organization," Manning said. The day-long trip includes a lunch provided by Mission Barbecue on the 40-minute bus trip from the airport to D.C. "We have an entire day of memorial visits," Manning said. And recent travel has included a special dinner before returning home. "We are coordinating dinners with the VFW Post 9274 in Virginia again this year," Manning said. The VFW Post 9274 hall, located in Falls Church, Virginia, is about halfway to the return flight. "We were looking for another dining option, and VFw Post 9274 offered to host our dinner. It's really been a great addition to the Honor Flight," Manning said. "It gives our veterans the opportunity to get off the bus, have a nice meal -- a proper meal -- and talk to each other about the day. It's a really nice time to sit down in the evening before we get on the plane. It's really worked out well," Manning said. Visits to D.C. bring a lot of discussion and memories. But Manning said one of the most remarkable parts of the whole Honor Flight experience comes from the camaraderie. "When you get these groups of veterans, men and women, together, it's amazing to see their ability to befriend one another. Within ten minutes of boarding a bus or a plane, they're making fun of each other's branch, they're laughing together. They all find something in common, something to laugh about or cry about, as if they are young military members just starting out, as if they've known each other for a long time. It's priceless." "Every flight, every flight date, every ceremony is like new," she said even as they ready for flights 68 through 75 this year. "It's like I'm experiencing it for the first time. It's not repetitive, it's not something you get used to." Community, family, friends and neighbors are invited to join the send-off ceremony and the return welcome-home on each North Country Honor Flight date. Formal ceremonies begin at the U.S. Oval at 7 a.m. Since 2013, over 1,000 veterans have flown with a North Country Honor Flight. Trips here are coordinated, celebrated and run entirely by volunteers, with funds for each flight raised through donations that come in from across the region, encompassing school groups' business fundraising promotions; local community benefits and events. To learn more about North Country Honor Flight or apply for a flight, volunteer to help or donate, visit the non-profit's website: northcountryhonorflight.org.

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North Country Honor Flight readies for 2026 tours

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