How To Apply to First State Honor Flight
Who Is Eligible For An Honor Flight with the First State?
First State Honor Flight wishes to recognize your service by taking you to Washington, D.C. to see your memorials with an all-expense paid trip. Top priority is given to critically ill Veterans from any war, World War II Veterans, Korean War Veterans, Vietnam Veterans, and then those from later conflicts. Scheduling priority will be based on the receipt date of the application.
Who Travels With The Veterans?
Each Honor Flight Veteran is accompanied by a special volunteer called a Guardian. This guardian will accompany and will travel with the Veteran for the entire trip. Honor Flight trips also have healthcare professionals traveling with them at all times.
Guardians must be physically able to take care of all the Veterans needs, including assisting them getting in and out of the buses and pushing the Veterans in a wheelchair for long distances to Memorials.
We encourage adult children and adult grandchildren to apply as guardians, but spouses are not eligible to serve as guardians. Guardians must apply and must be approved by the First State Honor Flight Board of Directors and are ideally 18 to 75 years of age and be able to make necessary decisions in case of unexpected emergency situations during trip.
What Does An Honor Flight Cost?
Honor Flights are 100% free to the Veteran; the bus and meals are all provided through generous donations to our program. Guardians must pay to go on a trip. Their fee includes all meals and transportation. This allows all donations to go to the Veterans. First State Honor Flight can assist the Guardian with ideas on how to raise funds for their trip. Currently, the donation for a Guardian is $100.00.
How Are Veterans Selected For A Honor Flight Trip?
First State Honor Flight Board of Directors decides who participates in each flight, with input from the traveling healthcare team and trip coordinators. Priority is given to World War II Veterans and those Veterans who are terminally ill. Other determining criteria include the Veterans age and how long they have been on the waiting list.