Public invited to Veterans Honor Flight of Southern Ill. welcome home ceremony

MARION, Ill. (KFVS) - The public is invited to the Veterans Honor Flight of Southern Illinois welcome home ceremony.

You can welcome veterans home from their day in Washington, D.C. at 5 p.m. on Tuesday, September 26 at Veterans Airport in Marion.

The welcome home ceremony will begin at 8:45 p.m. with Emcee George Davis and Matt Throgmorton from Byassee Music and Sound will be singing the National Anthem.

“The community support for the previous Honor Flight Welcome Home events has been overwhelming,” Deborah Hogg, welcome home organizer, said in a news release. “There is no better way to celebrate our Veterans and honor them than by giving them a Hero’s welcome home.”

The Flight #11 Welcome Home Celebration will be held outside at the front airport entrance. You’re encouraged to bring lawn chairs, as well as “welcome home” banners and flags to the ceremony and wear patriotic attire.

Several food trucks are scheduled to participate including: Deep South, Sweet Shish Kabob, Chef Adams Food is Life, Cone to Table, The Fry Guy, Burger Shack, Big Nate’s BBQ, Honeybees Snowballz and TasTea Bowls & Treats.

According to organizers, food service will begin at 5 p.m. and last until all 89 veterans have passed through the Freedom Path through the airport terminal.

They say the entertainment lineup for the evening includes Daniel Brothers Band and Whiskey and Rust.

Limited parking is available on airport grounds. The planning committee encourages the general public to use the transportation buses from off-site parking locations.

T-Street Rides and Shawnee Mass Transit District will provide park and ride transportation services for free from locations including Sam’s Club and Cornerstone Church. The buses will leave from these off-site parking locations throughout the event, about every 20 minutes, starting at 5 p.m.

If you need help, organizers say more than 350 volunteers will stationed throughout the airport grounds and terminal lobby. They’ll be wearing bright orange lanyards.

You can click here for more information on Veterans Honor Flight.