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Honor Flight Rochester (HFR) Mission 53 Departs From Rochester on Saturday May 13 with 55 veterans
HFR will welcome home our 55 Mission 53 veterans to Rochester this Sunday, May 14. This HFR’s second mission of 2017.
The men and women veterans on Mission 53 served our nation in such conflicts as World War II, the Korean War (1950-53), and the Vietnam War. Some saw service during the Cold War period. Some served through more than one conflict. They wore the uniforms of the U.S. Army, the U.S. Navy, the U.S. Air Force, the U.S. Marines, and the U.S. Coast Guard.
The two-day HFR trip to Washington D.C. to visit the nation’s memorials is free to all honored veterans. Flights are possible through community gifts and contributions. Veterans are encouraged to register for their honor flight at honorflightrochester.org. Paper applications are also available at various town halls.
DEPARTURE DATE: Saturday, May 13, – Honor Flight Rochester Mission 53 departs the Greater Rochester International Airport at 6 a.m. The veterans and their guardians arrive at 4 a.m.
RETURN DATE: Sunday, May 14, 2017
RETURN FLIGHT: Southwest Airlines Flight #6277
SCHEDULE RETURN FLIGHT ARRIVAL TIME: 12:15 p.m.
PUBLIC WELCOME CELEBRATION: Approximately 12:40 p.m. after all veterans disembark the plane
WHERE: Greater Rochester International Airport
EMCEE: Maureen McGuire, WROC-TV 8
KEYNOTE SPEAKER: Speaker Rich Stewart, President Honor Flight Rochester.
COLOR GUARD: U.S. Navy Reserve.
MUSIC: Pittsford Volunteer Fire Department. LumenEssence (U.S. anthem).
HONOR GUARD: Patriot Guard Riders (pgrny.org).
Honor Flight Rochester (www.honorflightrochester.org) – one of 135 established hubs in 42 states the national Honor Flight Network – is a not-for-profit, fully-volunteer organization with a goal of taking every World War II, Korean War, or Vietnam War veteran from the Greater Rochester area who otherwise would or could not go, to visit and reflect together at Washington D.C. Memorials built in their honor. The two-day HFR trip is free to all World War II, Korean War, Vietnam War, and veterans who served during the years 1947 – 1964 (“Cold War”). It’s also open to veterans of any era who suffer a catastrophic illness. Rochester’s flying season is April to October. To date, 2,477 veterans have now flown from the Greater Rochester area since the local organization began full-scale flights in early 2009.
