To the editor:

North Country Honor Flight will be sending 28 more North Country veterans on a trip of a lifetime this Saturday, Oct. 7.

“Thunder in the Burgh” will be the escort from Champlain Center down to the Veterans Park on the U.S. Oval leaving at 6:15 a.m.

The send-off ceremony will start at 7 a.m. sharp, each veteran will be recognized for their contributions and sacrifices during this ceremony.

After the ceremony a motorcade will head to the Plattsburgh International Airport passing by all the local fire departments and ambulance squads as they show their respect on New York Avenue.

These are flights number 50 and 51 for the North Country Honor Flight. There will be three Korean War veterans, four Cold War veterans and 21 Vietnam veterans on board this time.

The return home is scheduled for 8:30 p.m. Saturday evening right back at the U.S. Oval. The public are encouraged to attend all portions of these events, they are very family friendly and also educational for the children.

We were reminded recently what this means to our veterans. When asked what the worse part of serving in Vietnam was, one veteran said “coming home, I didn’t feel my service was important by the way we were treated.” When asked how he felt when he returned home from his Honor Flight, he stated “for the first time I am proud of my service and these people today let me know that what I did was important.”

Barrie Finnegan

Executive director, North Country Honor Flight

Plattsburgh