Welcome to the Never Forgotten Honor Flight website: based in Wausau, Wisconsin serving CENTRAL & NORTHERN WISCONSIN veterans since 2009
TO SIMPLIFY THE VETERAN’S QUALIFICATION FOR THE NEVER FORGOTTEN HONOR FLIGHT, THE FOLLOWING CHANGE IS EFFECTIVE 3/10/2023:
If you served Honorably on ACTIVE DUTY, in the RESERVES, NATIONAL GUARD OR INACTIVE CLASS 3 RESERVES (IRR) ANYWHERE ON THE PLANET, in any branch of Service, BEFORE May 7, 1975, you are eligible.
(If you are on a portable device, select “Home” in the gray area to access the other pages)
The Never Forgotten Honor Flight is a Not-For-Profit Organization of dedicated Volunteers providing Veterans with closure, gratitude & respect, by flying them to Washington D.C. to visit their memorials. Priority is given to terminally ill veterans; followed by veterans serving BEFORE May 7, 1975. Each veteran will fly on a first come first served basis, based on the date of their application. This trip is absolutely free for the veterans!
We launch four flights each year in April, May, Sept & Oct (when weather is the nicest) to Washington D.C. We are currently flying veterans serving BEFORE May 7, 1975.
We are an affiliate of the Honor Flight Network, a group which began operations in 2005.
Quotes
“My husband says he now has closure for his time in the military & feels good about his time in the service.”
“Don’t tell my wife I said it, but this was the best day of my life.”
“I have been so angry for years, after today it’s over”
“Today I feel like a veteran again.”
“I’m so glad I went. It healed some open wounds. they treated us with respect and honored us.”
” It was a wonderful experience! I believe it brought peace to my dad and finally gave him the opportunity to open up and share experiences and feelings.”
“The honor flight is hands down the most magical experience we have ever been a part of and I cannot thank all the people who make it possible enough.”
“This has been the best day of my life.”
“After this welcome home I felt like I won the war all by myself.”
“If I live to be 100, I will never forget the welcome home.”
“Seeing the memorials was nice, but the people are what made the trip.”
“It was way beyond my expectations, I will remember and cherish this day and the experience for a long time.”
“Can’t thank you enough, it will go down as one of the most memorable days of my life”
“These little kids seem so sincere. One little kid held my hand, and he wouldn’t let it go.”
“This (trip) is wonderful, something I never dreamed would happen. The trip was beautiful. It’s something that I’ll never forget. It’s all about us (veterans). It’s like we’re all heroes.”
“When I got off the bus this morning, I was just another old man, after today I feel like a hero.”
“You know what you gave me back? You gave me my pride, my pride to be an American Veteran, something I had lost for many years.”
“It was like you were king for a day.”
“You’re proud, you’re happy and you feel blessed that you were able to go on the Honor Flight.”
“I’ve always felt quilt about getting out of there and some of my friends didn’t.”
“It was my duty (to go on the Honor Flight) for the people that didn’t make it home.”
“This is my welcome home that I never got.”
“There is a sense of brotherhood throughout the flight. Even though you didn’t know anybody, you felt a bond.”
“Throughout the day, I could not help but reflect on my time in the Army and those I served with. Sadly, many of them did not make it home. They to, are “Never Forgotten”. I still carry them in my thoughts and in my heart each day.”
“If you do this trip there really isn’t any reason to have a bucket list cuz nothing can come close to this! “
Jerry Viste summed it up last night while leaving the plane when asked if we “passed muster”. He said that “it was the most finely run organization that he has ever been a part of”. This coming from a pilot of 28 combat missions on a B-17 leading a crew of 10 men & being responsible for their lives as well as being the President of Wausau Insurance Companies, leading thousands of employees. “Captain” Viste was truly happy that he was a part of Mission #20.
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THE VERY 1ST HONOR FLIGHT, HONORING 12 WWII VETERANS 21 MAY 2005 – SHORT VIDEO
- THIS IS HONOR FLIGHT (SHORT VIDEO)
- John Keel’s Poem “Thank You”
- “I Am a Veteran” by Kay Johnson (Korea Veteran, Mission 13)
- “A Corpsman” by Floyd “Doc” Moore (“C” Co., 1st Recon Batt., 1st Marine Div. 1968-70)
- John Verschueren, from The Netherlands “thank you” letter to WWII veterans that gave him freedom!
- “Welcome Heroes” a poem by Richard A. “Dick” Boyce, CMDR USN Retired
- “DDay + 72” Richard “Dickie” Gonsoulin 18th Aviation Company Vietnam 1963-64
- Jim Homan’s (Colonel USMC Retired) poem: Vietnam Was My War
- Beth Humphrey’s Poem “Little Old Me“, written the night she returned from Mission 21 with her father, Korea Veteran Harold Fox
- Virginia Snyder’s Poem “The Wall of Tears”
- “Conversion” a Poem by Frances Angermayer of Kansas City, Missouri written in 1943. (Video)
- PSA from Wisconsin professional golfer Steve Stricker
- Hodag Country Festival 2017 1st short Video
- Hodag Country Festival 2017 2nd short Video
- Hodag Country Festival 2017 3rd short Video
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Click HERE for YouTube NFHF videos!
- “WELCOME HOME” – 3 minute slide show Mosinee choir
- A beautiful Tribute to NFHF’s 11th Mission by Steve & Evan Brummond
- When Johnny Comes Marching Home.
- The Ones That Came Back by Vietnam Veteran Bob Seidl
- Harry Lee Was One of Those Days
- Poems by Joe Plummer Welcome Home and Soldier’s Prayer
- My Honor Flight, Ed Work (“I never felt deserved”)
- How the Honor Flight made me feel, author unknown
- Ray Charles, God Bless American 3 min slide show
- Guardian Training video
Did you know that all cards & letters sent to the NFHF are posted on our web site under “past flights” (under the last flight flown nearest the date of the correspondence).
The following letter is from 12-year-old, Sydney Crawford of Aniwa, who enclosed a donation from the award he received for winning the local VFW’s Patriot Pen Contest. Letters like these will touch your heart.
This letter is from Kallie Penk, a Thorp Middle School 7th grader, who donated monies from her award winning Lambs (Goofy & Melody) at the Taylor County Fair Market Animal Show & Sale!