Mission Details

• DEPARTURE: Southwest Airlines WN3379 departs at 6:10am on Saturday, September 19 from Rochester International Airport
• WELCOME HOME: Sunday, September 20, 2026
• AIRPORT CELEBRATION: Between 12:15 to 3:00 PM, after the veterans have disembarked from the plane.
• FLIGHT INFO: Arrival, 12:20 PM Sunday, September 20 on Southwest Flight #WN1365 at International Rochester Airport

Welcome Home Lineup

• EMCEE Christian Garzone, 13 WHAM News and Fox Rochester
• KEYNOTE SPEAKER: Sergeant Charles Klauck, U.S.M.C., Retired and President of Vietnam Veterans of America, Chapter 20
• ANTHEM SINGER: Anders Namestnik, soloist
• BAND: Fairport Fire Department Band
• COLOR GUARD: U.S. Naval Sea Cadets Corps Rochester

September 16, 2026                                                         

Media and Public Relations Coordinator     

 Honor Flight Rochester (HFR) is pleased to announce the start of the 2026 autumn season with Mission 97. This is our first of three Missions this fall.

HFR Missions provide local veterans with what has been described as the “Trip of a Lifetime.” Veteran applications never expire. Their position on the Fly List advances with each flown mission and depending on the age or health issues of the veteran can potentially move them up the list. Our motto is, “We Leave No Veteran Behind.” Mission 97 will fly fifty-nine veterans including: 6 Cold War Veterans, 9 Cold War/Vietnam Veterans, 34 Vietnam Veterans and 10 Veterans from the Post 1975 era. The branches of service include: 28 Army Veterans, 9 Air Force Veterans, 2 Coast Guard Veterans, 13 Navy veterans, and 7 Marine Corps veterans.

Since 2008, including Mission 97, Honor Flight Rochester will have flown 4,998 Veterans. These are funded entirely through the generosity of our community, including individuals, organizations, corporations, and hundreds of volunteers and testamentary bequests.