The Gingrich Foundation
The Gingrich Foundation is proud to announce the Honor Flight Network as its August Charity of the Month in recognition of its service to the brave veterans who fought for freedom in World War II.
One year after the National World War II Memorial in Washington D.C. opened in 2004, Earl Morse was working at the Veterans Administration clinic in Springfield, Ohio. Morse discussed the long-overdue memorial with some of the aging veterans who served in the war, and he realized it would be difficult for many of them to make the journey to see it. Morse, who is a private pilot, eventually offered to fly a veteran to Washington to see the memorial. With tears in his eyes, the veteran accepted Morse’s offer, and the first Honor Flight was launched.
Weeks after the inaugural flight, Morse asked other members of his aero club to assist in the effort. Several pilots stepped up to help, and in May 2005, the group flew 12 more World War II veterans from Ohio to Washington, D.C. Since then, the Honor Flight Network has expanded to work with local affiliates across the country. And in 2008, it partnered with Southwest Airlines to transport larger groups of veterans. The Honor Flight Network now operates 125 hubs in 45 states.
In addition to flying veterans to the memorial, the Honor Flight Network connects veterans with volunteer guardians who accompany and assist them throughout their visit.
To date, the Honor Flight Network has carried more than 240,000 veterans and 181,000 guardians to Washington, D.C. — an amazing accomplishment. On any given day, visitors to the World War II Memorial on the National Mall are likely to see these veterans and volunteers making their way around the site.
While the Honor Flight Network had to postpone flights in 2020 due to the global pandemic, it has resumed its trip schedule this year.
We hope you will join us in supporting the Honor Flight Network.
