The Central Missouri Honor flight takes a break over the summer because it’s just too hot to take veterans on the day-long trip. The next honor flight is on September sixth. Central Missouri Honor Flight Spokeswoman Shelley Becker says the trip starts early in the morning, and ends very late in the day.
Becker says the veterans fly into Baltimore and often meet with other veterans on honor flights from different states. The group tours several monuments, the World War Two memorial, Korean Memorial, the Marine Memorial and Arlington National Cemetary. Becker went on the flight as a guardian last April, and she says seeing these memorials through the eyes of those who served is a completely different experience than seeing them alone.
Becker says each trip takes about 60 veterans and a guardian for every one to two veterans, depending on how much help they need. She says some veterans act as guardians, because they can push wheelchairs for their fellow veterans. The Central Missouri Honor Flight has taken more than 800 veterans to the Capitol to see memorials and monuments dedicated to their service.
She says anyone interested in becoming a guardian can apply on the Central Missouri Honor Flight website. She says those with medical backgrounds are always in demand.