Give the gift of honor

Freedom Honor Flight receives no government funding and depends entirely on the generous donations of people like you. Donations are tax deductible to the fullest extent of the law. Donate securely online or mail your check, made payable to Freedom Honor Flight, to Freedom Honor Flight, PO Box 505, La Crosse, Wisconsin, 54602-0505.

DONATE

Service Area

Freedom Honor Flight serves veterans in western Wisconsin, southeast Minnesota and northern Iowa. We fly out of La Crosse, Wisconsin.

Visit our affiliates page for a list of counties we serve and information on other hubs in our region.

Freedom Honor Flight 31 takes off Saturday, September 21, 2024 carrying WWII, Korean and Vietnam War veterans

Organizers are preparing for Freedom Honor Flight’s 31^st trip to honor veterans by flying them to Washington D.C., to see the memorials built in their honor. Since the organization was founded in 2008, Freedom Honor Flight has flown more than 2,700 veterans to our nation’s capital. The single-day itinerary includes a welcome in Washington, D.C., and visits typically include the WWII Memorial, the Korean War Veterans Memorial, Vietnam Veterans Memorial, the National 9/11 Pentagon Memorial, Arlington National Cemetery and other sites via luxury motorcoaches.

Eager to fly on Saturday, September 21 are one World War Two veteran, 7 Korean Era veterans and 92 veterans from the Vietnam Era. They fly for free, joined by volunteer guardians who pay their own way to assist the veterans on this “trip of a lifetime.”

Accompanying the veterans are one physician and four paramedics from Mayo Clinic Health System and Gundersen Health System, all out of the La Crosse area. Both health systems have been longtime supporters of Freedom Honor Flight, providing the paid services of the medical professionals at no charge to the organization, plus paying for their flights. Many honor flight veterans are elderly and depend on this medical care to have a safe and comfortable experience.

The public is welcome at the morning sendoff and the evening welcome-home ceremonies. Ample parking is available. Volunteers from Optum in La Crosse will provide a golf cart shuttle service for this flight in the morning, while Knights of Columbus volunteers from St. Patrick’s in Onalaska will provide the shuttle service in the evening. All ground activities are held at Colgan Air, Hangar 4, La Crosse Airport.

In the morning, hangar doors open at 5:30 a.m. A brief ceremony at approximately 6:15 a.m. precedes the American Airlines charter flight, set to depart at 6:50 a.m. The popular welcome home ceremony features the UW-La Crosse Screaming Eagles marching band. Hangar doors open at 7:30 p.m. The flight is expected to return between 9 and 10 p.m.