LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The coronavirus pandemic has caused major disruptions for all Americans, including hundreds of Kentucky veterans.
Honor Flight: Bluegrass, the organization that takes veterans on a free one-day-trip to the war memorials in Washington D.C., had to cancel three flights in 2020.
“Typically, this year we would have flown 240 veterans," Jeff Thoke, chairman of Honor Flight: Bluegrass, told Spectrum News 1.
Unbeknownst to everyone at the time, the October flight would be the organization’s last trip for more than a year.
“It’s what we do. We fly veterans to Washington, D.C. to see their memorials they sacrificed so much for. And the fact we can’t do this is really disappointing. It’s tough for all of us," said Thoke.
Honor Flight: Bluegrass is hoping to make up for the lost trips as best they can with the "Veterans Wish" campaign.
“And these are for the older veterans who would like to do something that is reasonable. For instance, we have some World War II veterans who would love to ride in a World War II jeep," Thoke said.
Thoke is putting out the call to get World War II verterans connected with Honor Flight: Bluegrass and its new campaign.
“If there is something special that a World War II veteran would like to do during these difficult times, we would like to make that happen," said Thoke.