The Milwaukee Brewers, Bucks and Green Bay Packers are stepping up to the plate and sending three planeloads of local veterans on a Stars and Stripes Honor Flight to Washington D.C.
The flight, scheduled for Oct. 19, is Stars and Stripes 55th mission. It will take 240 WWII, Korean War and Vietnam War veterans from southeastern and east central Wisconsin to visit the memorials built in their honor in Washington D.C. It will be an all-expenses-paid trip, thanks to the Wisconsin pro sports teams.
Veterans will get to tour the WWII Memorial, Korean War Memorial, Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Marine Corps/Iwo Jima Memorial and the Changing of the Guard at Arlington National Cemetery.
"While we play different sports, we all have one thing in common, and that is great respect for those who have served, and are serving, in our military," said Green Bay Packers President/CEO Mark Murphy. "We couldn't be more excited to be asked to play a small role in ensuring these veterans, who are American heroes, have a great day in D.C."
Two planeloads of veterans, guardians and alumni from the Milwaukee Brewers and Bucks will take off from Milwaukee's Mitchell International Airport, while the other planeload of veterans, guardians and Green Bay Packers alumni will leave from Green Bay's Austin-Staubel International Airport.
Veterans currently scheduled to board the 'Flight of Champions' on Oct. 19 include three WWII vets (one of whom is a 96-year-old female Army typist), four Korean War veterans and Vietnam Army veterans, including one who received a Purple Heart for his service.
"So many of our Vietnam War and Korean War veterans came home to disinterest, or to a hostile reception," said Paula Nelson, president of Stars and Stripes Honor Flight. "What an honor it will be to finally welcome them home properly and hopefully replace some of those difficult memories with positive ones."
