U.P. Honor Flight prepares for Mission V

Volunteers, veterans and their families made their final plans tonight with the next U.P. Honor Flight set to take off Wednesday morning.

This is the fifth mission for the organization that brings veterans to D.C. so they can see the monuments they helped forge, free of charge. Tuesday night each veteran got the chance to meet their guardians who will be accompanying them throughout the trip. And although tonight’s free food and festive environment was enough to get everyone excited, it pales in comparison to the day ahead.

“Oh, I’m just flattered to no end. I’m so thrilled to go to Washington and see all the different memorials and especially the U.S. Air Force who is celebrating it’s 66th Birthday,” exclaimed Elizabeth Goulais, a former First Lieutenant in the Army Nursing Corps. “There are fifteen of us in the flight that are going to be able to celebrate being a part of the Air Corps. It’s going to be just a wonderful thing.”

“This Honor Flight is really an honor for us, really,” noted Raymond Spitza, a former Third Class Petty Officer for the Navy. “There’s not many of us left anymore, but then again we’re all probably up in our 80’s, 80’s and 90’s. But, I’m ready to go.”

If you’d like to see off this year’s mission head to Delta County Airport Wednesday morning at 7:30 a.m.