O&A; Honor Flight holds inaugural banquet

By Janelle Jessen

Staff Writer n [email protected]

O&A (Oklahoma and Arkansas) Honor Flight raised money to send U.S. military veterans to Washington, D.C., at its inaugural banquet on March 10.

The fundraising event, held at the Army National Guard, included dinner, a presentation by the American Legion Honor Guard, door prizes, an auction, games and several patriotic vocal performances.

O&A Honor Flight is dedicated to flying veterans from Northwest Arkansas and Northeast Oklahoma to the nation's capital, where they tour the memorials of the conflicts they participated in, according to Rob Hopkins, director of the organization. The organization is part of the larger national Honor Flight Network, and focuses on serving veterans of World War II, the Korean Conflict and the Vietnam War, or veterans of more recent conflicts who are terminally ill.

Visiting the memorials is a powerful experience for many of the veterans, especially when they locate the names of friends and comrades they lost in combat, Hopkins said.

O&A Honor Flight has organized three flights and has taken more than 240 veterans and their guardians to Washington, D.C. The trip is all expenses paid for veterans. Each veteran is assigned a guardian to accompany them, and the guardian is responsible for paying for their trip.

This year's honor flight has been delayed because of a need for funds, Hopkins said. It costs about $1,000 for each veteran who takes the flight, he said.

During the March 10 fundraiser, representatives of the Siloam Springs KIA Memorial presented a $1,000 check to O&A Honor Flight, and Northwest Arkansas Veterans Coalition presented a $500 check to the organization, Hopkins said.

The banquet and auction were also a big success, although final numbers are not yet available, he said.

Hopkins said he is grateful for all of the volunteers who helped make the fundraiser possible, and all of the individuals and organizations who supported the event.

For more information about O&A Honor Flight or to donate to help make the next flight possible, visit the organization's website at oahonorflight.org or the O&A Honor Flight Facebook page.