MARION -- Where will be you be at 5 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 1?
Hopefully, at the Veterans Airport of Southern Illinois in Marion to welcome home our veterans from their day in Washington DC. Event organizers have been spent that last few months planning the Welcome Home event and want to invite everyone to come out and enjoy the festivities.
"The community support for the previous Honor Flight Welcome Home events has been tremendous," said Tracey Glenn, Welcome Home organizer. "We know the community has supported five flights so far, but this Flight includes 85 veterans who have not experienced a hero's welcome home. It's important for this group of veterans to have the outpouring of support that the veterans on previous flights have had when they returned to Southern Illinois."
The 15-member Welcome Home Committee meets monthly to plan the event. Event organizers hope to surpass attendance records from their previous flights which have been estimated at 3,000 people.
"The community starts arriving at the airport about 4 p.m. with banners and lawn chairs," Glenn said. "It's really a festival atmosphere all afternoon and evening."
Several food trucks are scheduled to participate, including Burger Shack and Easy Street. Food trucks will open at 5 p.m. and last until all of the veterans have passed through the Freedom Path through the airport terminal.
"And while the public is enjoying its dinner, people can also enjoy the local entertainment," said Jared Garrison of the Welcome Home Planning Committee. "The entertainment lineup for the evening includes the JOY Singers from Marion First Baptist Church starting at 7:15 p.m."
The Welcome Home Ceremony will begin at 7:45 p.m. hosted by Emcee George Davis with Withers Broadcasting. The national anthem with be performed by Matt Throgmorton. The planning committee encourages the general public to utilize the free Rides Mass Transit District buses from three off-site parking locations including Sam's Club, Cornerstone Church and Community of Faith Church.
"Rides Mass Transit is happy to provide transportation service for the Honor Flight! Buses will run continuously between locations to insure everyone has easy access to the event," said Debra King of the Welcome Home Planning Committee.
The Welcome Home Committee encourages the general public to bring Welcome Home banners and flags to the ceremony and wear patriotic attire in the hopes that the Veterans will witness a sea of red, white and blue when they depart the plane.
If anyone has any questions or needs assistance when they arrive at the airport, they can ask any one of the more than 300 volunteers stationed at various points throughout the airport grounds and terminal lobby. All volunteers will be wearing bright orange lanyards.
"We hope everyone will come out to the airport and help us welcome home our veterans," Glenn said. "There is no better way to celebrate our Veterans and honor them than by giving them a hero's welcome home."
Veterans Honor Flight of Southern Illinois is an established 501c3 nonprofit hub of the Honor Flight network. All expenses for this one day trip are funded by local donations and covered by Veterans Honor Flight of Southern Illinois, including the flight, ground transportation, meals and beverages.
The trip is provided absolutely free to the veterans.
