Kentucky veterans recently returned home after participating in Honor Flight 2024, a program sponsored by Kentucky’s Touchstone Energy Cooperatives. The flight transported 68 veterans from the Blue Grass Airport to Washington, D.C., where they visited memorials dedicated to their service.
This year’s flight included two women veterans and several Purple Heart recipients. The veterans, who served in the Korean and Vietnam Wars, took part in a full day of honors, including a visit to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and a wreath-laying ceremony.
The Honor Flight program, which started in 2010 with Kentucky’s Touchstone Energy Cooperatives, has allowed veterans to visit the nation’s capital and be honored for their service. Honor Flight is a national program founded in 2005 to transport veterans to Washington, D.C., to see the memorials dedicated to their service and sacrifices. Since its inception, the program has served over 250,000 veterans nationwide .
Veterans on this recent trip shared their reflections, including Vietnam veteran Chuck Wellman, who recalled his time with the 27th Infantry Regiment “Wolfhounds” and expressed how much seeing the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall meant to him. Another veteran, Carl Schuler from Taylorsville, remembered his service as a Specialist 5th Class and the camaraderie he experienced while in Vietnam.
Farmers RECC President/CEO Toby Moss emphasized the significance of these flights, calling them an opportunity to honor veterans for their service to both the nation and the local community. As part of the day’s activities, veterans also witnessed the changing of the guard ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery.
To learn more about the Honor Flight program, visit honorflightky.org or togetherwesaveky.com.
