North Star Honor Flight is preparing to take its second trip to Washington, D.C., with a plane of veterans on September 30, 2025. Mission 2 of North Star Honor Flight will transport 83 veterans and 78 guardians to accompany them for the day.
The goal of Honor Flight is to take WWII, Korean, Vietnam Era and terminally ill veterans on all-expense-paid trips to Washington, D.C., where they can reflect, connect and experience their nation’s gratitude firsthand. During their visit, veterans and their guardians will tour significant sites and well-known memorials.
Veterans will arrive at Rochester International Airport (RST) between 4 and 4:45 a.m. on Tuesday, September 30. A short program honoring the veterans and guardians will begin at 4:50 a.m., followed by security screening before boarding a chartered Sun Country Airlines flight to Washington, D.C.
Upon arrival in the nation’s capital, the group will embark on a guided bus tour that includes visits to several landmarks. Planned stops include Arlington National Cemetery, the WWII Memorial, the Korean War Memorial, the Vietnam Memorial, and the Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps memorials.
The group will return to Rochester International Airport at 9:30 p.m., to be greeted by a large gathering of family and friends.
North Star Honor Flight is a member of the Honor Flight® Network and is a 100% volunteer-run, 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. This Honor Flight hub launched officially in August 2024. Donations can be made through the website or by sending a check to North Star Honor Flight, P.O. Box 321, Adams, MN 55909. Applications for involvement in the program as an honored veteran or as a guardian can be found at www.northstarhonorflight.org.
North Star Honor Flight serves nine counties in Minnesota and five counties in Iowa, covering an area that stretches from Mason City, Iowa, to Rochester, Minn., and beyond. The Minnesota counties are: Blue Earth, Dodge, Faribault, Fillmore, Freeborn, Mower, Olmsted, Steele and Waseca. The Iowa counties are: Cerro Gordo, Howard, Mitchell, Worth and Winnebago.
For more information regarding North Star Honor Flight, contact Jill Klapperich at 507-259-9459. For information regarding media arrangements at the Rochester International Airport, contact Mary Gastner, 507-951-3107. Media is welcome to attend the morning or evening activities at the airport. Interviews must be arranged in advance. Due to schedule constraints, the North Star Honor Flight team and veterans will not be available for impromptu interviews on flight day.
