Veterans take flight for 29th U.P. Honor Flight to Washington
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ESCANABA -- Veterans from across the Upper Peninsula departed from Escanaba for Washington, D.C., Wednesday on the 29th Upper Peninsula Honor Flight mission.
A total of 73 veterans -- including one woman -- who served during the Korean and Vietnam wars boarded Mission XXIX at Delta County Airport early Wednesday morning, along with 73 guardians who will be escorting and assisting them throughout the trip. Escanaba Daily Press Staff Writer Sophie Vogelmann is also in attendance.
On Tuesday night, the organization held a pre-flight banquet at the Delta Chamber of Commerce.
The group’s first stop was set for the National World War II Memorial, where a group photo is taken as part of an Honor Flight tradition. A tour of Washington was set to follow before the veterans visit several memorials, including the United States Navy Memorial, U.S. Marine Corps War Memorial -- widely known as the Iwo Jima Memorial -- Military Women's Memorial, Lincoln Memorial, Vietnam Veterans Memorial and Korean War Veterans Memorial.
The group was also planning to visit Arlington National Cemetery to observe the Changing of the Guard ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.
U.P. Honor Flight is a nonprofit local hub of the National Honor Flight Network. Every spring and fall, the organization transports veterans to Washington, D.C., to visit memorials made in their honor, as well as other national memorials and sites throughout the city, at no cost to the veterans.
According to U.P. Honor Flight President Scott Knauf, each flight costs about $135,000, totaling $270,000 each year for the organization's two annual flights. The organization does not receive any government funding and is 100% volunteer-run.
“The Upper Peninsula is amazing in how they support us,” said Knauf. “The people of the U.P. plan, organize and put all their sweat and tears into fundraisers across the Upper Peninsula. We are very fortunate that we don’t have to do our own fundraising. This is the only organization that i know of where we don’t have to do our own fundraising.”
The flight began in 2011 when Barb Van Rooy founded the organization. According to Barb, her father was the reason she started the Honor Flight, as he and his generation fought in World War II.
Barb stepped down from her position with the organization in 2015, after which Knauf and his sister, Kim Knauf Wyckoff, now vice president, became involved.
“After nine flights, Barb decided to retire, and there was no one that was going to take it over. There were still veterans on the wait list, so I said it has to continue,” Knauf said. “And so that's when we took over in November 2015, and our first (flight) was Mission X in May 2016.”
Barb and her husband, Lee, were honored in 2015 as founders of the Upper Peninsula Honor Flight. A hangar at Delta County Airport was named in their honor.
The local organization has become a family affair, with the siblings’ parents also serving on the board and helping coordinate wheelchairs for veterans.
To follow updates throughout the day as Vogelmann tours Washington, D.C., follow the Escanaba Daily Press’ Instagram and Facebook pages.