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Indy Honor Flight was founded in September 2012 by then-Chairman Grant Thompson. He had taken a relative on a nearby Honor Flight and saw the need for a hub in the Indianapolis area. The first flight had 78 Veterans and 78 guardians on it, along with staff members.
A bit has changed since that flight. Our new chairman is Dale True. We now take 86 Veterans and 86 Veteran Guardians on each flight. Since that first flight, we have transported 3,890 Veterans to Washington, D.C. 100 percent free of charge.
How to sign up a Veteran for Indy Honor Flight
Indy Honor Flight accepts applications from any Veteran who honorably served between 1941 and 1975. Veterans do not have to serve overseas, in combat zones, etc.
Most Veterans who didn’t serve in combat zones have told us they aren’t worthy of the trip. Wrong! You served where you were sent, did what you were told, and supported those who were on the frontline! We salute you for your service to our country.
Veterans do not have to be nominated by anyone, so just visit indyhonorflight.org to obtain the Veteran application form. It can be printed, filled out completely, and mailed to us at Indy Honor Flight, P.O. Box 10, Plainfield, IN 46168.
Once it’s received, the Veteran will receive a postcard in the mail acknowledging that we are in the process of adding the Veteran to our database waiting list. We try to take our oldest Veterans first (WWII and Korea) due to their age. After the application is received, we just ask for their patience. If they move or change phone numbers, we ask that they notify us.
Who will be my guardian?
Each Veteran is accompanied on the flight by a guardian. This can be a son, daughter, grandchild, neighbor, etc. A spouse is NOT allowed to serve as a guardian. The guardian must be in good physical condition, able to push a wheelchair five to seven miles in one day, and be able to help us load wheelchairs on our buses along with large coolers. We ask them to perform a few other tasks throughout the day. If the Veteran has no one to serve as their guardian, we can supply a volunteer to accompany them for the day.
When the Veteran’s flight nears
When the Veteran’s name gets to the top of the waiting list, they will receive a phone call from a pair of bus captains to ask when they will be available to discuss an upcoming flight. The bus captains will set up a date and time to meet at the Veteran’s home. If their guardian is a friend or family member, they are also asked to be there.
The bus captains will have a few forms for both to sign. They will collect some information, like a current medication list, what the Veteran did in the service, and where he was stationed. They will ask to see the Veteran’s DD-214 (discharge paperwork) and a photo of the Veteran when they were in the service. They take NOTHING from the Veteran’s home.
They then spend time explaining everything about the flight and activities before and after it. They will also notify the guardian of dates and times of the mandatory guardian training that they must attend prior to the flight. The guardian is also required to pay a $500 guardian fee for their portion of the trip. We are 100-percent donation funded and the guardian fee assists us with expenses incurred.
They leave their contact information with both the Veteran and guardian. We usually do four flights a year: April, May, September, and October.
The Meet & Greet Dinner, flight, and return to Indy
The Veteran, guardian and one guest then attend a “Meet and Greet Dinner” on the night before the flight. This is typically held at Plainfield High School. After dinner, the Veteran and guardian return to the high school bright and early the next morning to prepare for a trip of a lifetime! They receive breakfast and load onto school buses for the short jaunt to Indianapolis Airport.
Once at the airport, they journey through a private entrance to board our chartered American Airlines jet. Each seat on the plain is filled. In addition to 86 Veterans and 86 guardians, we have 10 staff members, four paramedics, and three photographers flying with us.
Upon landing in Washington, D.C., everyone loads onto luxury tour buses for the day. The tour starts with a stop at the WWII Memorial, where we also take a group photo. We travel on to the Vietnam Wall, the Korean Memorial, and the Lincoln Memorial. We have lunch on the bus while taking a brief tour of Washington, D.C. We visit the Air Force Memorial and have front-row seats at the Changing of the Guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery.
As we go to every Memorial and around D.C., the Veteran will always have their guardian at their side. Never does the Veteran wander off without their guardian.
When we arrive back at the airport in D.C., dinner is served at the gate. We again load back onto our plane for the trip home … but the party is not over yet!
Indy Honor Flight needs your support to continue this great honor for our Veterans
Indy Honor Flight is 100-percent donation funded and run by volunteers. We have no office in order to keep costs to a minimum. We have donated storage space for our supplies. We have a post office box and a cell phone.
No one in the organization is paid a dime.
The bus captains donate their time and gas to travel to each Veteran’s home for their interviews. The paramedics donate their time for the flight, as do the photographers who submit approximately 4,000 photos for each flight.
We are always looking for volunteers to help at our local functions before and after the flight to make sure our Veterans are cared for, so please volunteer if you can by going to indyhonorflight.org/volunteer and signing up.
We are a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, which means we rely on donations to provide these trips for Veterans. Donations may be made by going to indyhonorflight.org/donate and clicking on “DONATE.” Or, you may send your donations by mail to Indy Honor Flight, P.O. Box 10, Plainfield, IN 46168. It’s that simple.
Requests for more information can be emailed to info@indyhonorflight.org or by calling (317) 559-1600. We thank you for your support and we thank our Veterans for their sacrifice and service!