WISCONSIN — The Green Bay Packers, Milwaukee Bucks and Milwaukee Brewers announced they will sponsor the 71st Stars and Stripes Honor Flight mission: Flight of Champions. 

The Honor Flight program is a national program with more than 130 hubs around the U.S. The World War II memorial did not open in D.C. until 2004; many World War II vets cannot visit the nation’s capital without assistance, program officials explained. Honor Flight has provided free trips to see memorials to more than 250,000 veterans.

Flight of Champions will take off Oct. 7.

A Wisconsin veteran and his guardian on a 2021 Honor Flight trip to D.C. (Spectrum News 1/Megan Marshall)

Veterans will fill a total of three planes on the trip. Flight of Champions will honor 221 veterans from northeastern, southeastern and northern central Wisconsin, and includes veterans who fought in World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War.

“We are thrilled to welcome our veterans, guardians and representatives of the Packers, Brewers and Bucks to this once-in-a-lifetime journey,” said Karyn Roelke, president of Stars and Stripes Honor Flight. “It is an honor and a privilege to finally thank this large group of local veterans who sacrificed so much, and we are thrilled to have the support and participation of our three favorite sports teams.”

The veterans will embark on a one day, all-expenses-paid trip to Washington, D.C., where they will “visit the memorials built in their honor and to experience a full day of honor and thanks for their service to our nation.”

In Green Bay, the day will start at the Austin-Straubel International Airport. Packers alumni Bill Schroeder, Dexter McNabb and Jared Abbrederis will join veterans and their guardians on their flight to Washington Dulles International Airport.

“We are honored to be a part of this historic mission with the other pro sports teams from Wisconsin,” Mark Murphy, Green Bay Packers president and CEO, said. “While we play different sports, we all have great respect for those who have served, and are serving, in our military. 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.”

In Milwaukee, representatives from the Bucks and Brewers will join the veterans and their guardians at Mitchell International Airport.

“It is a great honor to once again support the Stars and Stripes Honor Flight as we accompany veterans in their Flight of Champions experience,” said Rick Schlesinger, Brewers president of business operations. “We know this will be a memorable and unique experience for both the honored veterans and all of us at the Brewers. We look forward to continuing our commitment alongside the Packers and Bucks in supporting the brave men and women who have proudly served our country.”

“We thank our family, friends and neighbors for their bravery and sacrifice and dedicating their lives to protecting us,” said Peter Feigin, president of Milwaukee Bucks and Fiserv Forum. “The Milwaukee Bucks are proud to team up with the Packers and Brewers to create a memorable trip and experience for those who served so courageously in our military.”

One planeload will come from Green Bay and two will come from Milwaukee. The three groups will convene in Washington.

Once everyone has landed, the group will spend the day exploring Washington, including visits to the World War II Memorial, Korean War Memorial, Vietnam Veterans Memorial and Marine Corps/Iwo Jima Memorial. They will also see the changing of the guard at Arlington National Cemetery.

A 2021 Honor Flight group watches the changing of the guard at Arlington National Cemetery (Spectrum News 1/Megan Marshall)

Of the veterans who are scheduled to go on the trip, there are seven female veterans who fought in the Vietnam and Korean Wars, two World War II veterans in their late 90s and several sets of brothers. There is also a husband-and-wife veteran duo; a group of three brothers who are veterans will also embark on the trip with their cousin, who is a fellow veteran.

“So many of our Vietnam War and Korean War veterans came home to disinterest, or to a hostile reception,” Roelke said. “What an honor it will be to finally welcome them home properly and hopefully replace some of those difficult memories with positive ones.”

At the end of the fall season, Stars and Stripes Honor Flight — the Honor Flight hub based in Milwaukee — said it will have flown 9,477 veterans to D.C. and honored 50 veterans locally who were unable to fly.