T he H onor F light N etwork Celebrating Our Veterans
Part 1
keep the ship’s engines running and service and maintain submarines. Having family located in the small town of Coosawhatchie, South Carolina, about 45 minutes away from Charleston, Kathleen enjoyed staying in the area with Emmett while he was stationed there. Kathleen worked at the Charleston Naval Hospital and was sometimes able to go on Dependence Cruises with Emmett, who also sailed to Puerto Rico and other places during his time there. What is an “Honor Flight” and what do they really do for veterans? To begin, the Honor Flight mission statement is “to celebrate America’s veterans by inviting them to share in a day of honor at our nation’s memorials.” They hold a vision of “a nation where all of America’s veterans experience the honor, gratitude, and community of support they deserve.” As expressed by a volunteer, many veterans, particularly Vietnam Veterans, did not receive a warm welcome when they returned home from war. In fact, it was often the opposite, and many veterans faced hostility and backlash upon their arrival back in the states. The Honor Flight Network is a national nonprofit organization comprised
they deserve.
Participation in an Honor Flight trip gives veterans the opportunity to share this momentous occasion with other comrades, remember the fallen, and share their stories and experiences with other veterans. Honored veterans always travel free of charge, thanks to generous donations. While initially focused solely on America’s World War II era veterans, Honor Flight Network has expanded its mission to include those who served during the Korean War and the Vietnam War eras. The Honor Flight TLC program also honors veterans of any service era who are critically ill. The Honor Flight Network is made up of 129 hubs (currently) across the country. These hubs and their volunteers truly make the Honor Flight mission a success. They freely donate their time and talents to coordinate flights, bus trips, welcome home ceremonies, thousands of phone calls and so much more – all with the common goal to honor our nation’s heroes with the trip of a lifetime. Through Honor Flight Network’s Lone Eagle program, they are able to serve those veterans who live in areas with no local hub – furthering the reach of their impact. Engineman Monks received his flight through Great River Honor Flight, a hub located in Quincy, Illinois, that offers departures from Quincy, IL and Hannibal, MO. The story of the creation of the Great River Honor Flight hub began in August 2009 when members of the
I n August of 2025, MPBA members Emmett and Kathleen Monks attended a Governor’s Breakfast. While there, they were approached by a member of an organization most people are unfamiliar with, the Honor Flight Network. In conversation, Emmett was invited to participate in a “mission”–a flight, free of charge to the veteran, to visit war memorials in Washington, D.C., and receive the recognition, thanks, and honor our veterans so deeply deserve. This Honor Flight Mission was one that Emmett will never forget. In an interview with Kathleen, I learned that her husband, Emmett, is a Vietnam Veteran. He served in the Navy as an Engineman. He was stationed at Charleston, South Carolina, on the USS Howard W. Gilmore (AS-16), a Fulton -class submarine tender. His duties were to
USS Howard W. Gilmore
of independent hubs working together to achieve the Honor Flight mission. In furtherance of this common goal, they have the enormous privilege of showing our nation’s veterans the appreciation and honor
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