EAA AirVenture to take 100 Vietnam Vets on Yellow Ribbon Honor Flight

OSHKOSH, WI—(WISS)—When the 72nd Annual Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA AirVenture) fly-in happens in July, emotions will run high as 100 Vietnam War vets take a Yellow Ribbon Honor Flight to Washington, D.C. The flight on July 25th is part of EAA AirVenture’s annual salute to veterans.

EAA AirVenture will honor Veterans from the Vietnam War with a free tour of war memorials at the nation’s capital. The veterans will return to Oshkosh after the Friday afternoon air show. Thousands of people will welcome them back home and give them the recognition they deserve.

“The Yellow Ribbon Honor Flight is one of the most memorable events of AirVenture week and our Salute to Veterans activities each year,” said Rick Larsen, EAA’s vice president of communities and member programming. “This event that honors what Vietnam veterans did for this country. And provides them an experience of a lifetime, while giving AirVenture attendees an opportunity to say, ‘Thanks and welcome home.’”

EAA AirVenture Honor Flight

This is the 11th year that the Yellow Ribbon Honor Flight has originated at from the Oshkosh fly-in under the auspices of Old Glory Honor Flight of Appleton, Wisconsin. That non-profit organization has organized dozens of Honor Flights since 2009 with a dedicated group of volunteers. Those flights have included special flights to Pearl Harbor and to Vietnam.

“Each Honor Flight mission is a special occasion, but the ability to be a part of EAA AirVenture always creates unforgettable moments,” said Diane MacDonald, the Executive Director of Old Glory Honor Flight. “Honoring our local Vietnam veterans out of EAA AirVenture is such a highlight; being witness to the enthusiasm, respect, and appreciation from the world’s aviation enthusiasts when the flight returns to Oshkosh is such an incredible sight to see and it means the world to the men and women who get to experience it.”

American Airlines will supply an aircraft for the flight, flown by an all-volunteer crew of American Airlines pilots and cabin attendants. The 72nd annual EAA AirVenture fly-in convention is July 21-27 at Wittman Regional Airport in Oshkosh.