Southampton, NY, September 15, 2025 — Honor Flight Long Island, the iconic volunteer-run veterans’ organization, is proud to announce that our Fall Flight to Washington, D.C. is scheduled for Saturday, October 4, 2025. This flight will take 46 Long Island veterans to visit their military memorials, meet with service branch representatives, commiserate with fellow veterans and exchange stories. Honor Flight’s mission is to honor fellow Long Islanders who served in the United States Armed Forces to preserve our freedoms, by providing free, one-day trips so they can visit their D.C. memorials.
Bill Jones of Southampton, President of Honor Flight Long Island, stated: “Our Fall Flight includes 42 Vietnam War veterans who will receive long overdue recognition and thanks for their service. They’ll be accompanied by 4 elder comrades, 1 WWII veteran and 3 veterans of the Korean War. What this flight really represents is a ‘Big Hug’ to ALL our veterans from Honor Flight, their families and supporters, who make such flights possible,” Jones said. Bill Jones is a U.S. Army Veteran and West Point 1972 Graduate.
Thanks to Honor Flight, these 46 veterans will take a free, early-morning Southwest flight to Washington, D.C. Flight # 1064 will depart from ISLIP MacArthur Airport at 6:05 a.m., arriving at Baltimore-Washington International Airport at 7:20 a.m. After a 50-minute bus ride to the Capitol, Honor Flight officials and guardians will accompany our veterans as they visit the WWII, Korean and Vietnam War Memorials. They will also visit Arlington National Cemetery, the National Archives and possibly other sites of special interest. They’ll have dinner at the airport where veterans can relax before their trip back home to Long Island.
Welcoming our Heroes on their return home-
Veterans will return on Flight # 1757 at 9:35 p.m., for a rousing welcome by the great Saffron United Pipe Band, plus thunderous applause from hundreds of family, friends and supporters! All are invited to welcome our veterans at MacArthur. Suggested arrival time for supporters who wish to applaud our veterans is one hour prior to return flight, or at 8:35 p.m. Please check the Southwest website in case of any delays. Check https://www.flymacarthur.com/southwest-airlines.
Next up is the Veterans Reunion on Saturday, December 6, 2025, 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., at the American Airpower Museum, Hangar 3, Republic Airport, 1230 New Highway, Farmingdale, NY. The public is welcome to attend for FREE. AAM opens at 10:30 a.m. and everyone is encouraged to come early and enjoy the exhibits before and after the reunion. For information about AAM, call (631) 293-6398 or email www.americanairpowermuseum.org. Our great patriotic reunions are always free and open to the public!
Come and cheer our heroes during their “Ceremony of Honors,” as each receives a personalized Tribute Journal full of photos taken during their D.C. trip. This great patriotic event includes speeches by HFLI President Bill Jones and AAM President Jeff Clyman. The U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary Flotilla Band will play a popular patriotic medley known as the “Armed Forces Salute,” featuring the six official musical themes of the U.S. Armed Forces: Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air and Space Forces, and Coast Guard. Free refreshments for all provided by Honor Flight!
Veterans! Get on our waiting list for future Honor Flights to Washington, D.C., by clicking on www.honorflightlongisland.org and submitting an application. You’ll fly for free, thanks to donations from across Long Island. You’ll be accompanied by Guardians, able-bodied volunteers who donate $400 (tax deductible) to offset travel costs. Honor Flight has a cohort of volunteers ready to step up for the privilege of escorting our heroes to D.C. Any questions? Please call Jamie Bowden at (631) 702-2423 or JBowden@southamptontownny.gov.
[Special Editors Note: See attached file “Oct 4 Vets for Rob” for background on our veterans. Contact Bill Jones for additional quotes at (631) 276-8825 or ddbeach5@gmail.com. Also contact Jeff Clyman at (347) 323-5914 or jeff@cockpitusa.com.]
Photo Caption: DC-Cohort- Long Island Veterans, with Honor Flight Guardians and Officials, at Washington, D.C. World War II Memorial, October 5, 2024. (Photo by Mark Chamberlain for Honor Flight.)
Contact: Robert F. Salant, Public Affairs, (718) 791-4758, rsalant123@outlook.com.
Location:
100 Arrival Avenue
100 Arrival Avenue
Ronkonkoma , New York 11779
Contact Information:
Bill Jones
ddbeach5@gmail.com(631) 276-8825