25 Hawai’i veterans going to Washington, D.C. on Honor Flight to see war memorials, Arlington Cemetery

For the second time, a group of veterans from Hawai‘i will make the journey to the nation’s capital as part of the Honor Flight Network’s Lone Eagle program.

The national program serves veterans in areas with no Honor Flight hub.

Veterans serving during the World War II, Korean War and Vietnam War eras are flown to Washington, D.C., for a trip to visit and reflect at the memorials built in their honor. 

An Honor Flight trip comes at no cost to honored veterans, due to support of individuals and businesses from across the country. Alaska Airlines has donated the travel for both the veterans and their guardians. 

For this trip, 25 veterans are participating: one from WWII/Korean War, one from the Korean War and 23 Vietnam War-era. The honored veterans hail from multiple islands across the Aloha State.

The Alaska Airlines flight will depart from Honolulu on Aug. 7, and return on Aug. 11. During their time in Washington, D.C., the honored Veterans will spend Aug. 9 and 10 visiting the memorials on the National Mall. The group will view the Changing of the Guard at Arlington National Cemetery and lay a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Other monuments and memorials will be added to the itinerary as time permits.  

“With such a large number of Veterans applying for the inaugural Honor Flight trip from Hawai‘i in 2022, we welcomed the opportunity to conduct this second flight in 2023, honoring even more Veterans from several islands in the Aloha State,” said Meredith Rosenbeck, CEO of Honor Flight Network.

“Across the state, the outpouring of enthusiasm for our organization and mission serves as a strong indication that a hub will be formed here in the near future. We look forward to bringing many more Hawai‘i veterans on their Honor Flight trips in the years to come.” 

Alaska Airlines’ Daniel Chun said: “Our goal is to ensure that every veteran from Hawai‘i who wants to travel to D.C. has the same opportunity.”