Miller's vision of flights honoring veterans reaches Puerto Rico, Hawaii
The Honor Flight Network started in 2006 as HonorAir in Hendersonville by longtime businessman Jeff Miller, who said when he first had the idea of chartering commercial jet flights for veterans to Washington, D.C., to see the war memorials, he wasn't sure if it would become a reality.
It did ... and in a big way.
"It shows to me how patriotic and generous Henderson County is. It bought into an idea and a concept that had never been tested and made it real and made it just ... take off, in so many ways," he told the Times-News on Sept. 14.
The Honor Flight Network continues to grow, and earlier this year it achieved another first, flying its first group of veterans from Puerto Rico to Washington to see the war memorials. It wasn't the first overseas flight for the Honor Flight Network, according to the network's chief of staff, Marion Watkins, who works at the main office in Arlington, Virginia.
"Honor Flight Network just flew its second-ever group of veterans from the state of Hawaii last month. We’ve seen tremendous local support in Hawaii, and steps are currently underway to form a hub in that state," she told the Times-News on Sept. 8 via email.
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How it all began
Miller's idea was to have veterans go on the flights for free, thanks to donations and community fundraisers. That's still the case to this day, Watkins said.
"Honored veterans pay nothing for the trip, and they are given a heroes' welcome every step of the way. Needless to say, our entire network is very proud of this important, ongoing mission," she said.
In 2005 in Ohio, Earl Morse started a small operation of taking a few veterans to the war memorials in private planes. A year later, Miller expanded on that by chartering flights on commercial jets, and with that, HonorAir was born. In 2008, both men were honored by President George W. Bush, who awarded them with the Presidential Citizens Medal for exceptional “spirit of citizenship.”
"OK, folks, we're ready to fly," Miller said on the April 29, 2023 flight. "It's unbelievable how much we've grown through the years. Just think, this all began in the 'little old' city of Hendersonville."
Watkins said from the very beginning, Miller knew the scope of the network and how many lives it would impact.
"He realized the great potential of Honor Flight – taking the concept of small flights of veterans from a limited geographical area and magnifying that to include entire charter flights from locations across the country. His patriotism runs deep, and he’s never been one to shy away from a great challenge," she said. "Service is in his DNA. He’s always been one to elevate others before himself, and that is such an endearing, rare quality these days. I believe Jeff’s selfless, service-minded nature really set the standard early on for Honor Flight Network."
Having a co-founder whose driving force is to give back in such a meaningful way is a powerful thing. Others in the Network learn from that example. It inspires them to reach new heights as they serve their own communities of veterans."
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300,000 and counting
As of September 2023, the network has more than 125 active hubs from 44 states and has flown more than 300,000 veterans to see the war memorials. It has also added the Lone Eagle program, which serves veterans who live in areas with no local hub, including Hawaii and Puerto Rico.
In addition to Hawaii, the only states without a hub now are Idaho, Montana, Nebraska, Arkansas and Mississippi.
Watkins said last month, the network had a unique flight from Indiana.
"Last month on Aug. 7 — Purple Heart Day — our Northeast Indiana Honor Flight hub carried out a very special mission, bringing over 100 veterans, each of whom is a Purple Heart recipient, to Washington, D.C.," she said. "Also, at the national level, we just created Capital Region Honor Flight, honoring veterans from Maryland, Delaware and the D.C. area. It will have its first trip on Oct. 3."
Watkins said all of the flights wouldn't be possible without donations throughout the country.
"As a network, we are tremendously grateful for the opportunity to honor our nation’s heroes. We are humbled by the outpouring of support for our mission, both in terms of financial and volunteer support. Our network is constantly striving to maximize its impact, and we see a bright future ahead as we continue to honor our nation’s finest," she said. "Jeff’s initial vision for the organization is very much alive and well today. In that respect, Honor Flight Network is built on a very solid, authentic pillar of service and gratitude.
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"It’s taken a tremendous amount of work over the years to impact so many veterans from across the country, but that early optimism and driving force of the co-founders still resonates throughout the network. We as a network are enormously grateful to the men and women who honorably served our country. Our nation is truly a better place because of their service. Showcasing these veterans can only serve to make us all better as Americans."
More information about the Honor Flight Network is available by going to https://www.honorflight.org/ and more information, including applications for veterans and volunteers for future Blue Ridge Honor Flights, is available at https://www.blueridgehonorflight.com/ or by calling 828-776-0650.
Dean Hensley is the news editor for the Hendersonville Times-News. Email him with tips, questions and comments at DHensley@gannett.com. Please help support this kind of local journalism with a subscription to the Hendersonville Times-News.
This article originally appeared on Hendersonville Times-News: Miller's vision of flights to honor veterans now reaches overseas
