WELCOME HOME … (Left to Right) Charlie Huston, Cherie Kemper, and Jaycee Riley smile as the veterans return home from Honor Flight 31.
FLIGHT OF A LIFETIME … Honor Flight 31 is ready to head to Washington, D.C., with a full cabin!
(PHOTOS PROVIDED / THE VILLAGE REPORTER)
MONUMENT MEMORIES … Several veterans take pictures on their tour of Memorial Monuments.
By: Brenna White
THE VILLAGE REPORTER
publisher@thevillagereporter.com
West Unity Resident Jaycee Riley was recently selected to join nearly 74 fellow veterans for a deeply meaningful journey aboard the Flag City Honor Flight, an experience dedicated to honoring those who served in World War II, Korean, and Vietnam Wars.
This special trip marks the 31st mission by the Flag City Honor Flight organization which transported a full airplane of passengers to Washington, D.C. for a day of remembrance and recognition.
Flag City Honor Flight is a nonprofit, volunteer-run organization that provides free travel for veterans to visit the nation’s war memorials in the capital.
Veterans are selected based on conflict served, age, and the order in which they submit their application, with priority also given to terminally ill individuals. All expenses, over $1,000 per veteran, are fully covered through donations and support from the community.
The June 3rd flight departed from the Grand Aire Hanger in the Toledo Express Airport. In 2025, the organization is offering four flights: April 1, June 3, September 9, and October 14.
Many veterans, including Riley, are accompanied by volunteers and may even receive honorary escorts from sheriffs in Hancock, Wood, and Lucas Counties.
Each Honor Flight itinerary is thoughtfully curated to honor service members’ legacies. Veterans on the June 3 flight first visited the U.S. Air Force Memorial, followed by the Marine Corps Memorial.
The day concluded with a stop at the Military Women’s Memorial, where veterans were treated to a dinner catered by Mission BBQ.
Steve Schult, President of Flag City Honor Flight, continues to lead the initiative with commitment and compassion. “We want to give each veteran the honor they earned and deserved,” says Schult. “It’s our way of saying thank you.”
For many veterans like Jaycee Riley, this journey is more than just a visit to monuments – it’s a long-overdue recognition of bravery, sacrifice, and patriotism.