After a more than two-year postponement of flights due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Central Missouri Honor Flight (CMHF) is preparing for its first flight of the 2022 flight season scheduled on Monday, May 9.
A news release says veterans, some of whom have waited more than three years for their Honor Flight, will be treated to the trip of a lifetime to Washington, DC, to see the memorials dedicated to their military service.
Before the pandemic, CMHF made 61 flights to the nation’s capital for nearly 5,000 veterans of WWII, the Korean War and the Vietnam War. The one-day tour includes the WWII Memorial, Korean War Memorial, Vietnam Memorial, Battle of Iwo Jima Memorial, Women in Military Service Memorial and Arlington National Cemetery. At the Tomb of the Unknowns, veterans are quietly and respectfully acknowledged during the Changing of the Guard.
CMHF’s top priority has always been the safety of its veteran passengers. Due to the health threats presented by the pandemic, CMHF leadership decided to postpone flights until its medical team approved the restart of operations and national health indicators improved. Traveling with the veterans will be a medical team as well as guardians who assist veterans with wheelchairs, walkers, oxygen and companionship on the flight.
CMHF currently has a waiting list of veterans and will be contacting those individuals to participate in the flight in the order they originally applied.
Honor Flights are provided at no cost to the veterans. CMHF is supported through generous business, organizational and individual donations from thousands in mid-Missouri.
New applications are welcome; applications can be downloaded at the organization’s website at www.centralmissourihonorflight.com. Or applicants may call 573-256-1930 to leave their address and have an application mailed to them.
CMHF also welcomes applications for guardians and volunteers to help with a wide variety of activities in support of the flights. A Volunteer Fair will be held at 2 p.m. on Sunday, April 10, at the Courtyard by Marriott Hotel at 3301 Lemone Industrial Blvd. in Columbia for anyone interested in participating. To expedite the Fair, interested persons should complete the Volunteer and/or Guardian Applications found at www.centralmissourihonorflight.com, send them via email to cmhfwhywefly@gmail.com or bring them to the Volunteer Fair.