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2019 schedule is now live!
We are so excited to kick off the 2019 season in a few short months. You can see the ever changing schedule now on our 2019 schedule page – https://honorflightdca.com/schedule/
Check back for updates; new and changed flights, updated GAP passes, and fun Honor Flight activities throughout the year. New information arrives weekly!
Mail request for 100th birthday
World War II Veteran Turns 100 on May 12th
David Philip Beere, a veteran of World War II, was hoping to come to DC on an Honor Flight but has become ill. Please send him birthday wishes, wishes for improved health, and your thanks for his service!
David Philip Beere
PO 1061
Sherwood OR 97140
After Pearl Harbor and the declaration of war, David enlisted in the U.S. Navy Aviation Program and was sent for training in New Orleans. Due to depth perception problems, he transferred to the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy (USMMA). He sailed on the TEXAS SUN as a cadet/midshipman during the war.
In 1944, he graduated from the USMMA and was assigned to the USNS GEORGE W. GOETHALS (T-AP-182) which carried troops in support of preparation for the Normandy invasion. He also was stationed at Allied Forces Headquarters in Caserta, Italy. Following the war, Dave returned to Kings Point as a USMMA instructor.
NEW Memorial Schedule list
An additional feature we are proud to present in an ongoing list of all Memorial greeting opportunities. While this website’s purpose is to share DCA arrivals and schedules, many hubs fly in and out of neighboring airports (BWI and IAD). In order to best serve our veterans and recruit the most volunteers, we’ve added a special link to the Memorial page which will list out all Honor Flight scheduled visits to WWII, Korea, and Vietnam. This includes DCA, BWI, and IAD arriving hubs. This report will be produced weekly and cover the following 14 calendar days.
As always, this information is subject to change and modification without notice. Airline delays, downtown activities, and a constantly evolving schedules mean our hubs (and volunteers) must be flexible. We hope you find this report valuable and another opportunity to greet all our veterans in downtown DC!
DCA construction
The DCA airport (National) is undergoing some serious construction as part of a $163.5 million, two year project. We want to make sure all our volunteers leave plenty of time to navigate the temporary paths, parking, and walkways so no one misses greeting a vet!
Please allow extra time in your journey through DCA. Things we’ve noticed:
- Garage spaces limited/closed
- Very heavy traffic and lane closures
- Construction around new security area
- Upper level for staging buses for pick up and drop off
- feel free to comment below if you have tips to share with fellow volunteers!
Subscribe to DCA for regular updates.
Second-oldest Pearl Harbor survivor, Jim Downing, dies at 104
Honor Flight community, we celebrate the life of Pearl Harbor survivor Jim Downing, who passed on Friday, February 16th. Many of our volunteers were able to meet and greet Jim when he visited DC and the WWII Memorial last year. You can read more about Jim’s extraordinary life below. We honor his life and service.
The 2018 Honor Flight DCA Schedule is HERE!
Our 2018 Schedule is now available to our wonderful team of volunteers! Hooray!
Our first flight (for now) is scheduled for March 3 — we are so excited to have our Veterans back in DC!
As you find flights that you’d like to greet, please use the “REQUEST YOUR GAP HERE” link for that flight to request a gate pass to get through security. After each sign up, you will receive an email confirming that the information has been captured — please confirm the accuracy of the information! You will receive a confirmation email 24 hours prior to the flight confirming whether the GAP has been honored (at the discretion of the airlines!) All members of your group need to request a pass — even babes in arms and minors.
For those of you new to the team, please take some time to check out our website to learn about what is involved in a greeting (besides the hugs and handshakes of course!).
As in years past, we will send out one email per week (usually on Sunday morning) to give you a snapshot of the week’s upcoming flights. To subscribe to that email list, please use this link. Our entire schedule (more than a week in advance) will always be available on our website.
INTERESTED IN BECOMING A GUARDIAN?
Every Veteran participating in an Honor Flight is assigned a Guardian for the day. Most often, the Guardian is a family member, friend, or volunteer from the Veteran’s home city who accompanies the Veteran on the plane. Occasionally, however, some Honor Flight hubs request some DC-based Guardians to accompany Veterans throughout their day here. For more information about the required qualifications to become a guardian, please check our our website, schedule of upcoming trainings, and if you have further questions, please email Laura!
INTERESTED IN BECOMING A BUS GUIDE?
Our volunteer tour guides meet the veterans when they arrive at the airport, and ride on the bus with them all day to explain different monuments, buildings and interesting facts about DC. If that sounds like something you’d be interested in, please contact Lauren B. to find out more!
INTERESTED IN ORGANIZING A GROUP TO ATTEND AN HONOR FLIGHT?
Looking for a way to give back with your organization? Bring them to an Honor Flight! High school cheerleaders and football players, professional coworkers, alumni associations and state societies, even young scout groups — no group is too small to welcome our Veterans. Take a look at our schedule, find a flight that works for you, and then contact Jenny for more information about how to get everything scheduled! Some flights restrict the size of groups, so please contact Jenny as you decide which flights you want to attend.
DO YOU PERFORM WITH A LOCAL MUSIC GROUP?
We are always looking for new groups to come welcome our Veterans when hey arrive at the airport. We’ve seen the Veterans’ faces light up when they get off the plane — we’ve had choirs, brass quartets, recorder choirs, and even a ukulele band! Please contact Patricia if you have a group that may be interested in participating!
