Upcoming 2026 Mission Dates
MISSION #81
THURSDAY, MAY 21
QUINCY, ILLINOIS
MISSION #82
THURSDAY, JUNE 18
HANNIBAL, MISSOURI
MISSION #83
THURSDAY, AUGUST 20
QUINCY, ILLINOIS
MISSION #84
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 17
HANNIBAL, MISSOURI
Great River Honor Flight Announces First Mission To Fly Directly from Quincy to DC
The Great River Honor Flight Board of Directors proudly announces that the 81st mission will be held on May 21, 2026. Of special importance, this will be the very first mission that will depart from Quincy Regional Airport and fly directly to Washington, DC. Veterans will fly out of Quincy on a Contour Airlines Jet to Dulles International Airport in DC. A total of 16 veterans will take part on this trip. These veterans will bring the total of veterans who have been part of the Honor Flight experience to over 2,500 since its start in 2010. Of them, 9 served during the Vietnam era, 5 during the Gulf War and the remaining 2 served between or after those conflicts. They represent Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines and Army National Guard.
The veterans on this flight come from Missouri (Adair, Clark, Lewis, and Greene counties), Illinois (Adams, Hancock, and Knox counties), and Iowa (Polk and Marion Counties). We will also have one veteran who served with local veterans and are joining them from Wisconsin. The veterans served in a number of roles among them Military Police, Communications Specialist, Electronic warfare technician, Air Traffic and Weather Radar maintenance, Mechanize Infantry, Mechanic, Engineer, and Logistics to showcase the variety of key roles that are part of our Nation’s Armed Forces. A list of the veterans and their hometowns is included at the end of this News Release.
“The number of veterans on this mission is fewer than in the past due to the size of the jet which holds 30 passengers”, said Carlos Fernandez, Chairman of Great River Honor Flight. He added, “our mission continues to be to honor and show our gratitude to those who served in our military.”
The May 21st trip’s itinerary will follow the itinerary that has been so successful over the past 17 years while also making the best use of the veterans’ extended time in DC thanks to the direct flight out of Quincy. “In essence, we will get to spend more time in DC and less time on a bus traveling to and from St. Louis, while also looking at an earlier, more convenient arrival time back in Quincy,” noted Sharon Lake, Vice-Chair. The itinerary includes starting out at HLGU’s Cafeteria prior to a 6:00AM departure from Quincy Regional to Dulles. In DC they will visit the Vietnam Wall, Korea Memorial, WWII Memorial, Lincoln Memorial, Iwo Jima Memorial, Air Force Memorial, and also observe first-hand the Changing of the Guard at the Tomb of the Unknowns at Arlington National Cemetery. That will follow with a drive by the Capitol, down Pennsylvania Avenue and a stop at the Navy Memorial. The veterans will then head back to Dulles for their return flight to Quincy. The expected arrival time back at Quincy Regional Airport will be around 8:45PM. Once there they will bus to JWCC’s Basketball Arena for an official welcome home. “The Board discussed how best to handle the homecoming and felt that having the veterans experience the motorcade of motorcycles, police and other vehicles that have been the staple of every flight since 2010 is something we did not want to give up”, noted Mr. Fernandez. It is a very special emotional experience that touches the veterans deeply.
Great River Honor Flight was chartered on Veterans Day 2009 with its first flight scheduled on April 13, 2010. Our goal remains to honor the total number of local veterans who served our country with a FREE trip to Washington DC.
To date Great River Honor Flight, the Tri-States’ hub of the Honor Flight program has flown 2,568 local Veterans to Washington D.C. since it was established in 2009. This trip will increase that total to 2,584. Great River Honor Flight, a Missouri Nonprofit Corporation established in October of 2009, was created solely to honor America’s veterans that live in our area for all they have sacrificed by providing, free of charge, transportation to Washington D.C. to visit the memorials dedicated to honor their service and sacrifices.
For additional information or interview, contact Carlos Fernandez at csfernandez1951@gmail.com or
Great River Honor Flight
PO Box 3723
Quincy, Illinois 62305
Veterans attending
the Mission #81
May 21, 2026
Great River Honor Flight #81
Itinerary
MAY 21, 2026
Following times are Central
04:00 am
Check-in for participants of Honor Flight – JWC
04:15 am
Guardian briefing
04:30 am
Board bus to Quincy Airport
05:00 am
Go thru TSA for boarding
06:00 am
Contour Airlines Charter departs Quincy – breakfast on plane
FOLLOWING TIMES ARE EASTERN
09:00 am
Flight arrives at Dulles (DC) - Deplane, Bathroom, Board Bus
09:45 am
Board Bus for trip to Washington, DC
10:45 am
Arrive at Vietnam, Korea and Lincoln Memorials
Note: Longest stop of day. Bus will load close to Korea Memorial.
12:15 pm
Depart Korean/Vietnam Memorial for WWII Memorial
12:30 pm
Arrive at World War II Memorial (South Entrance)
1:15 pm
Depart WWII Memorial – Go to Iwo Jima
1:35 pm
Iwo Jima - lunch
2:20 pm
Depart Iwo Jima for Air Force Memorial
2:30 pm
Air Force Memorial
3:00 pm
Depart Air Force Memorial for Arlington National Cemetery
3:20 pm
Arrive at Arlington National Cemetery –Changing of the Guard at 4:00
4:30 pm
Depart Tomb of the Unknown for Tour of DC and Navy Memoria
5:30 pm
Navy Memorial
6:15 pm
Head to Dulles International Airport
7:00 pm
Arrive at Dulles International Airport – TSA Check-In
7:45 pm
Contour Airlines Charter departs Dulles – dinner on plane
FOLLOWING TIMES ARE CENTRAL
8:45 pm
Flight arrives at Quincy Regional Airport – Board bus for JWC
9:15 pm
Homecoming at John Wood Basketball Arena
"Reflections from Great River Honor Flight Mission #80"
I just wanted to say thank you all again for doing what you guys do. We had such an amazing day with everyone. Meeting past acquaintances and gaining new friends. On a personal note. Growing up I heard stories from my dad about the negative coming home stories he endured. It makes me shudder knowing he and other brother/sisters of the country experienced that.
With that being said, I never in my 52 years witnessed my dad shed a tear, until......the terminal in Baltimore as the crier announced their arrival. He was overwhelmed with mixed emotions and pride that was lost to him for the last 54 years. With the crowd applauding and cheering he glanced up at me with tears in his eyes, with a gentle whisper he stated, "this was more gratitude and appreciation in those 2 minutes than he had his whole life."
I will sum this up with one statement. THANK YOU!!!! He had the time of his life on this trip. It was such a bonding moment for both of us.
I had to send you this picture. He was like a little kid on Christmas day going through his goodie mail bag.
Yours truly,
Michael Hudnut II
Our Veteran
& Guardian
Applications
To the Staff of the Great River Honor Flight,
I am incredibly grateful to the Great River Honor Flight for allowing me to participate in Mission 70 to Washington DC. I know the planning and coordination required to execute this as well as you did was no small feat. My heart felt salute and thank you to all and I will remember this day forever.
Please let me give you a little background. I was a 19-year-old private in the Army when I arrived in Vietnam. I was a medic assigned to an infantry unit with nothing more than basic medical life saving skills. I soon discovered just how ugly war is. My hands have been soaked in the blood of my enemy and the blood of my friends. No amount of washing has ever taken the stain out. I have been scared like no person ever should be. This day brought back both emotional relief and overwhelming sadness. As I looked upon that wall I couldn’t help but think back at how many times I was given the opportunity to be among their names. I shook my head in disbelief that I was one of the fortunate ones to make it back alive. I still wonder why to this day. My mind gets stuck on how it could have turned out so different.
I confess. When entered the sports complex upon our return and all those people were there to welcome us back, I cried. I never felt so warmly appreciated for my service as I did upon our return from Mission 70. It was an emotional but a joyous day for me and I thank you from the bottom of my heart.
David A Knotts
Command Sergeant Major (Ret)
U.S.Army
To Celebrate America’s Veterans
by inviting them to share in a day of Honor at our Nation’s Memorials
Great River Honor Flight, a Missouri Nonprofit Corporation established in October of 2009, was created solely to honor America’s veterans that live in our area for all they have sacrificed by providing, free of charge, transportation to Washington D.C. to visit the memorials dedicated to honor their service and sacrifices.
Great River Honor Flight first flight was scheduled on April 13, 2010. Back then all the veterans were from World War II. That is the way it continued for several years until it was decided to expand to those veterans who had served during the Korean War. Since then, we have also expanded to include veterans during the Vietnam War as well as those who served between those conflicts. Our goal is to continue to increase the total number of local veterans who have flown to Washington DC for free thanks to the financial support of so many individuals, groups and businesses in the area who remained supportive of the cause since its beginning.
