The Eastern Iowa Honor Flight has taken hundreds of Iowa veterans to Washington D.C. and back. According to a press release, flight number forty-four will take place later this month, allowing nearly 100 Iowa veterans to see the sights of our nation's capitol.

The latest honor flight will take place on September 20th, departing from The Eastern Iowa Airport in Cedar Rapids. Veterans will begin reporting that day at 5:45 a.m. with the flight to Washington D.C. departing at around 7:15 a.m. The flight will then return to Cedar Rapids at approximately 8:15 p.m. Many veterans never got a proper 'thank you' when they returned from their time served. But that is something else that the Honor Flight program does right. It encourages the public to come out to the airport and welcome the veterans home from their amazing trip. Police and fire officials will be there as will a military band. It's quite an emotional moment for everyone involved.

Facebook via Eastern Iowa Honor Flight
Facebook via Eastern Iowa Honor Flight
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This will be the 44th flight for the Eastern Iowa Honor Flight program. The previous 43 have taken 3,879 veterans and their guardians to see the memorials in Washington D.C. This latest flight will include 89 veterans in all. They have served in WW II, Korean War, Cold War, Korea/Vietnam Wars, Vietnam War, Vietnam/Desert Storm, and the Iraq War.

We salute all these brave men and women who have served our country. I hope that they enjoy seeing the sights in Washington D.C. and know just how much we love and respect them. If you are able, join the welcome home ceremony on the evening of September 20th at the Eastern Iowa Airport. Let's welcome them home again, with open arms.

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