COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
Central Missouri Honor Flight (CMHF) is preparing for its final flight Monday, marking the end of a 16-year tradition of taking Mid-Missouri veterans to Washington, D.C.
“We thought we’d do one, maybe two flights that year hopefully get enough veterans, enough money to do that and that would be the end. That’s what we thought,” CMHF Flight Director Steve Paulsell said.
The non-profit announced in a news release that after Honor Flight #71 departs, no additional trips will be scheduled.
“We are approaching this flight like we approached every flight. We’re going to give it everything we’ve got. I doubt anything on that flight will be said about it being the last flight,” Paulsell said.
Organizers say the number of veterans applying for the trips has dropped in recent years.
“The applications from especially Vietnam veterans has really slowed down,” Paulsell said.
Rising costs also played a role in the decision.
“In our first year, first or second year, we’d sit and wait and watch the bank account and say, okay, okay, we’ve got enough money to go for another flight and then we’d go,” Paulsell said. “But after several of that, we started out… you know, the knowledge and understanding of what our flight does increased, and so did the revenue.”
On Monday, 70 Vietnam veterans and one Korean War veteran will travel to Washington, D.C., for a final day of reflection at the nation’s memorials.
The group will gather at the Courtyard Marriott Hotel in Columbia on Sunday night before departing at 1:45 a.m. Monday for a charter flight out of St. Louis.
Organizers are inviting the community to take part in the veterans’ homecoming. They’re asking people to gather Monday night at the Courtyard Marriott to welcome the group back.
“Bring your kids. This is something they’ll never get to see again. And it’s actually the homecoming that the Vietnam veterans never got,” Paulsell said.
While this will be the final flight organized by CMHF, Paulsell encourages veterans still interested in traveling on an Honor Flight to reach out. The organization can help connect them with surrounding chapters.
The organization says the people of Central Missouri have been overwhelmingly generous in supporting the non-profit. Paulsell also thanked local law enforcement and first responders who have assisted with the flights over the years. Since launching in 2009, Central Missouri Honor Flight has carried more than 5,500 veterans to the nation’s capital.