60th Honor Flight to head to D.C. Sept. 17 with 85 Vietnam veterans (2024)

About 85 Vietnam veterans will take the 60th Honor Flight of the Quad Cities to Washington, D.C., on Sept. 17, thanks to the fundraising efforts of the Quad-Cities, North Scott and Clinton Hy-Vee stores.

Veterans will spend the day touring the military monuments and attend the Changing of the Guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier before returning to the Quad-Cities that night.

“This is the 14th Honor Flight that we have sponsored,” said Debbie Geisler, Quad-Cities marketing director for Hy-Vee. “Since 2010, the Quad-Cities, North Scott and Clinton Hy-Vee stores have donated more than $700,000 to Honor Flight of the Quad Cities.

“As part of the sponsorship, Hy-Vee also hosts a pre-flight dinner for the veterans, their guests and guardians,” Geisler added. “It is an event that everyone really enjoys, which includes a special meal, guest speaker and entertainment from local high schools. It also provides veterans and their guardians the opportunity to get to know each other prior to the flight, and it gives our Hy-Vee employees the chance to personally thank our local veterans for the sacrifices they made for our country.

“We could not have made these flights possible without the support of our sponsors, employees and the community,” she added. “We would like to thank Pepsi, Bai, Monster Energy, Quad-City Times, Dispatch Argus, WLLR, Bernatellos, Verena Coffee, Mama Bosso, Village Hearth and Prairie Farms for their support in sponsoring this flight.”

Steve Garrington, Hub Director for Honor Flight of the Quad Cities, said the Quad Cities Hub was one of the more active hubs in the country.

“The energy and effort Hy-Vee puts into these flights are a perfect example of a community-oriented company coming together to support this worthwhile effort," he said.

Honor Flight is always looking for veterans to take the trip and wants to be sure that all that are eligible can go. With the recent change of status, any veteran who served a year of active duty before 1976 can apply. Applications can be found at www.honorflightqc.com or at the Honor Flight main office at Ridgecrest Village in Davenport.