Honor Flight Carries 96 Veterans to Washington

The Never Forgotten Honor Flight took 96 veterans, most of them Vietnam War veterans, to visit memorials in Washington, D.C.

Updated on Nov. 3, 2026 in Military

Long black granite memorial wall stretching across an open green lawn under pale morning light, with a distant flagpole at the edge of the grass. — Ninety-six veterans, most of them Vietnam War veterans, traveled to Washington, D.C., last week on the Never Forgotten Honor Flight to visit the memorials dedicated to their service. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

The Never Forgotten Honor Flight carried 96 veterans to Washington, D.C., last week. Ninety-four of the veterans served during the Vietnam War, including Stevens Point native and Navy veteran Bill Wallner, who traveled with his three daughters from Pennsylvania.

Why it matters

The trip gives aging veterans, many of whom served decades ago, a chance to see the memorials dedicated to their service. For Wisconsin families, it highlights the state's ongoing connection to veterans' recognition and the personal histories behind the honor flight program.

The flight carried 96 veterans, 94 of whom served in the Vietnam War, a figure that shows the trip was weighted heavily toward that generation. The extraction does not state the program's total passenger count across prior flights or funding sources.

The players

Never Forgotten Honor Flight

A program that transports veterans to Washington, D.C., to visit war memorials dedicated to their service.

The details

Bill Wallner, a Navy aviation electrician who served from 1968 to 1971, toured Washington with his daughters Tiffany, Marissa, and Heather. During service he spent a year in Fallon, Nevada, helping prepare Navy pilots for carrier deployments to Vietnam and helped recover the Apollo 13 capsule.

Wallner served in the Navy from 1968 to 1971.
The honor flight to Washington, D.C., took place last week.

Big Picture

Honor flight programs have increasingly focused on Vietnam-era veterans, who make up the majority of passengers on this trip, reflecting a long delay in public recognition for that generation. This flight continues that pattern, with 94 of 96 veterans from the Vietnam War.

Families of Wisconsin veterans can follow future honor flight departures through the program's regional organizing efforts. Veterans who want to take part should watch for sign-up announcements, as passenger spots are limited to a fixed roster.

The takeaway

Recognition for Vietnam-era veterans is still being delivered decades later, and honor flights offer a direct way for families to share those stories. Readers with a veteran in their family can ask about upcoming flights through local veterans' organizations.