Honor Flight takes 81 Ozarks veterans to Washington, D.C.

On Wednesday, October 29, 81 veterans from around the Ozarks, along with 81 companions and a full medical team plus several additional volunteers, boarded the plane at 4:30 a.m. for a full day of VIP experiences in Washington, D.C. with Honor Flight of the Ozarks. 

The honorees on this final trip of 2025 included veterans from the Korean, Vietnam and Gulf conflicts. Many volunteers were on the job by 3:30 a.m. to assist with snack prep and other details, helping ensure each veteran’s needs were met during the flight and the day’s tour stops, which include all the service era memorials as well as Arlington National Cemetery. Joining the early risers were cadets from Willard High School NJROTC, to greet the veterans and their guardian/companions as they proceeded toward the security stations to board the plane; cadets also brought up the rear of the procession with a special sabre guard. 

After a full day, the return flight landed at SGF shortly before 8 p.m., where they were greeted by area elected representatives, leaders of veteran groups and more volunteers. Each veteran was given a quilt, provided through volunteers with At the Lake quilt shop in Warsaw, MO. They then proceeded into the waiting area to the accompaniment of patriotic music by the Abu ben Adhem Shriner Band, where families, friends and members of area veterans’ organizations and other groups waited to greet them with applause, thanks and “Welcome Home” signs. Among those present were a Nurse Honor Guard of local area nurses, Combat Veterans Association and several businesses and churches. 

It was particularly gratifying to meet several members of the Honor Flight of the Ozarks Youth Council, a recently-organized group of high school students who dedicate their time to helping raise awareness and raise funds. Another local teen, Luke Lygrisse, set a goal of serving as a guardian/companion on the flight and raised funds to cover his fee (veterans fly free, but guardians pay their own trip expenses). He exceeded his goal and donated the rest to Honor Flights of the Ozarks. “I really look up to these people before me, and I hope to follow in their footsteps one day,” said Lygrisse on an Ozarks Today interview; he wants to join the U.S. Air Force after high school. 

Anyone who has not been to the airport to greet a returning flight should plan to do so! It’s an emotional experience to see the veterans enter the airport waiting area—some in wheelchairs or with canes or walkers, several missing limbs, but all smiling! The experience is particularly meaningful to Vietnam veterans, many of whom did not receive a good welcome after returning from their military duty. For all of the participants, the opportunity to visit the national memorials is a tangible reminder of the nation’s appreciation.  

To nominate a veteran or apply to be on a flight, or to learn how to get involved or donate toward this memorable experience for a veteran, visit https://www.honorflightoftheozarks.org, where you’ll also find a gallery of past flight photos and information about the Youth Council. Additional photos of the October 29 trip can be found at the Honor Flight of the Ozarks Facebook page.