MARION, Ill. -- The public is welcome to come join the festivities and welcome home area veterans after a trip to Washington D.C.
The celebration is taking place at Veterans Airport of Southern Illinois and the public is invited for an evening of fun, food and welcoming home 87 veterans.
“The community support for the previous Honor Flight Welcome Home events has been overwhelming!� stated Deborah Hogg, Welcome Home organizer. “There is no better way to celebrate our Veterans and honor them than by giving them a Hero’s welcome home.�
On Tuesday, May 7 at 6 a.m., Veterans Honor Flight Mission 12 will depart the airport and make their way to Washington D.C. Here they will tour the monuments built in their honor and return back to Marion Tuesday night.
The big celebration at the airport starts at 5 p.m. Festivities kick off and Flight 12 is expected to land with the veterans at around 8 p.m.
Be sure to bring lawn chairs and cheer on veterans as they walk out the front entrance at the airport.
“The community starts arriving at the Airport about 5pm with banners and lawn chairs. It is really a festival atmosphere all afternoon and evening� stated Hogg.
Food trucks will be on hand, including... Cone to Table, Crazy Asian Eats, Honeybeez Snowballz, Flippin Crepe, Fry Guy, The Caribbean Hut, and Venezi Wood Pizza who have all made a donation to Honor Flight.
“And while the public is enjoying their dinner, they can also enjoy the local entertainment� stated Amanda Throgmorton of the Welcome Home Planning Committee. “The entertainment line-up for the evening includes Daniel Brothers Band and Whiskey and Rust.
The Welcome Home Ceremony will take place at 8:45 p.m. Stave Falat with River Radio will emcee the event and Matt Throgmorton with Byassee Music and Sound will sing the National Anthem.
There will be limited parking. The planning committee encourages the public to use the transportation busses which will commute them from off-site parking locations.
T-Street Rides, Shawnee Mass Transit District, Jackson County Mass Transit District and Veterans Honor Flight of Southern Illinois said they are happy to provide park and ride transportation services at no cost from locations including Sam’s Club and Cornerstone Church. Buses will depart from these off-site parking locations throughout the event, approximately every 20 minutes beginning at 5 p.m. to ensure everyone has easy access to the event.
The committee also welcomes people to bring welcome home banners and flags to the welcome home event. Also, everyone is encouraged to dress in patriotic attire.
If anyone has any questions or needs assistance when they arrive at the Airport, they can ask any one of the more than 350 volunteers stationed at various points throughout the Airport grounds and Terminal lobby. All volunteers will be wearing bright orange lanyards.
“We hope everyone will come out to the Airport and help us welcome home our Veterans. We want the Veterans to witness a sea of red, white and blue when they depart the plane.� stated Hogg.
Veterans that have been on previous Honor Flights are also encouraged to come out in your red shirts and have VIP access at the Welcome Home Celebration.
For more information visit Veterans Honor Flight's .
