Congratulations to all who put in countless hours of work planning the 16th mission of the Upper Peninsula Honor Flight.

On Wednesday, a plane full of Vietnam, Korean War and World War II veterans left Escanaba just a bit after sunrise and winged its way to Washington, D.C. These veterans, each accompanied by a “guardian” to help them as needed throughout the day, visited the memorials in their honor along with other landmarks in a busy, but most memorable, trip.

After a full day in the nation’s capital, the U.P. Honor Flight contingent returned to Escanaba, greeted by throngs of well-wishers, receiving the heroes’ welcome they truly deserve.

Since U.P. Honor Flight went on its first mission in September 2011 under the guidance of its founder Barb Van Rooy and a hard-working group of volunteers, more than 1,000 veterans have made the trip at no cost to them.

That means a lot of money has to be raised to make the trip possible.

Current UPHF President Scott Knauf and his committee do an outstanding job fundraising and keeping the U.P. Honor Flight in the public’s mind throughout the year. With two missions each year, the UPHF supporters are one busy bunch.

But when they see the joy on the faces of the scores of veterans each trip, we know they believe it’s worth the effort.

U.P. Honor Flight is a journey for a group of men and women who put their lives on the line to protect this nation. It’s motto is “It’s Never Too Late to Say Thank You.”

Indeed.

And it’s never too late to help U.P. Honor Flight complete its missions. The next one is set for Sept. 18.

To find out more or to donate, visit upperpeninsulahonorflight.org or send to: UP Honor Flight, 7508 J Road, Gladstone, MI 49837

Thank you to all who made this mission possible and welcome home to all the Mission 16 veterans who we know had an amazing day.