Honor Flight Northeast Indiana (HFNEI) will celebrate its 25th flight to Washington D.C. on Wednesday, September 27. Steel Dynamics Incorporated is sponsoring the flight in its entirety.
Flight #25 currently consists of a total of 85 veterans: 11 WWII; 69 Korea; 4 Viet Nam and 1 Cold War. This includes one woman veteran. Participant Navy veteran Don Bailey, was a crewmember aboard USS PUEBLO when the ship was boarded and captured by North Korea forces while operating in international waters on January 23, 1968. Eighty-one crewmen were captured, beaten, and tortured and held for 11 months under harsh conditions in North Korea. One U.S. Navy crewman was killed during the attack.
Dennis Covert, President of Honor Flight Northeast Indiana states: “Honor Flight Northeast Indiana has transported 1,710 veterans to Washington, D. C. to view their memorials. The men and women who have served our country represent the “Faces of Freedom.” We owe them an Honor Flight. We certainly appreciate the financial support provided by Steel Dynamics, Inc. by funding the entire cost of the September Honor Flight with a $75,000 donation.”
HFNEI will also participate in a wreath-laying at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.
“We are humbled by the sacrifices of our veterans and are honored to support a Northeast Indiana Honor Flight,” said Mark D. Millett, Steel Dynamics, Inc. President and Chief Executive Officer. “We would like to express our sincere appreciation and thanks to our veterans.”
The veterans and volunteer guardians will gather at the 122nd Air National Guard Fighter Wing at 6:00 a.m. with take-off projected to be at 8 a.m. Returning home, the community is encouraged to patriotically welcome the veterans in the Main Terminal of the Fort Wayne International Airport the evening of September 27. Return time is tentative, but expected to be at approximately 8:30 p.m. More information regarding the public’s participation and return timing will be shared on the group’s Facebook page at HFNEI.
95% of all donations go directly towards the veterans’ trips. Honor Flight NE Indiana, Inc. is a volunteer, nonprofit, 501(c)3 organization. Donations are tax deductible to the full extent allowed by law.
