By Abby Moran
For generations, American Veterans have returned from service to parades, medals and sometimes, silence.
The Honor Flight Network exists to bridge the gap with long overdue gratitude by flying veterans to Washington, D.C., to see the memorials dedicated to their service and sacrifice. For Upper Peninsula (UP) veterans, that mission comes to life twice each year through UP Honor Flight.
When the Honor Flight Network first began, its focus was on honoring World War I and II veterans with an all-expenses-paid trip to see the monuments built in their memory. As time passed and surviving World War II veterans dwindled, the mission shifted to focus on Korean and Vietnam War veterans. These generations selflessly answered our nation’s call but were not always met with the same recognition upon returning home. Korean and Vietnam War veterans endured both the trauma of war and the pain of returning to a nation divided by politics, unrest and indifference. Many came home not to cheers or parades, but to silence or worse. UP Honor Flight embraces a mantra that speaks directly to them: “It’s never too late to say thank you.”
As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, UP Honor Flight is part of a national network spanning 131 hubs across 43 states, with each hub raising funds to support local veterans. Every dollar donated in the UP stays in the UP, ensuring these trips directly benefit neighbors, friends and family members. Since its inception, UP Honor Flight hub has completed 26 missions, typically flying groups in May and September each year.
Navy Veterans Tom Brown (Sault Ste. Marie) and Michael Babcock (Dafter) attended UP Honor Flight’s Mission XXV on May 7, 2025. As members of the Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter 180, they have dedicated decades – Brown for 30 years and Babcock for 15 – to honoring their fellow service members through the chapter’s Honor Guard. From marching in Memorial Day parades to standing watch at veterans’ funerals, their presence has become a familiar and comforting reminder of service and respect across the EUP. Experiencing Honor Flight together brought that same sense of community full circle, leaving both men deeply moved by the gratitude and recognition they received.
“Welcome home is the greeting we use with other Vietnam veterans,” explains Babcock. “It’s a really fulfilling feeling of unity being there [in Washington D.C.] with other veterans, and it's kind of like the homecoming that you never really got at the end of the war.”
Babcock’s statement reflects the mission behind UP Honor Flight. Every detail is thoroughly planned to ensure their experience is therapeutic and memorable for the honored veterans.
The Honor Flight experience begins the evening before departure with a reception in Escanaba, where veterans’ photos are proudly displayed beneath posters of each military branch. The next morning, anticipation builds as a police escort leads buses from the hotel to the airport hangar. Inside, the atmosphere is festive: families and local residents wave handmade thank-you signs, a local high school band plays patriotic music and law enforcement and veterans’ groups line up to wave and salute. Once the plane touches down in Washington, D.C., the schedule is packed with meaningful destinations, from the changing of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington National Cemetery, to stops at the Washington Monument, Marine Corps War Memorial and Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall, each honoring their service and sacrifice.
Every veteran who attends Honor Flight is paired with a guardian, who attends to their every need, whether supplying water, pushing a wheelchair, or being a personal photographer and friend during the experience.
United States Air Force Veteran and first-time Honor Flight Guardian Betsy Huggett (Sugar Island) had the unique experience to attend the May 7 Honor Flight as Babcock’s guardian and then attend the May 21 Women of Valor Honor Flight as a veteran recipient. Huggett served two enlistments with the Air Force, beginning her service at the age of 19 and deploying to Saudi Arabia to support Operation Southern Watch, post Operation Desert Storm.
Huggett explains one of the unique experiences on the Women of Valor Honor Flight was the stop at the Military Women's Memorial at Arlington National Cemetery, which honors 3 million women who have served the nation since the American Revolution.
While Brown, Babcock and Huggett all had a wonderful experience on the Honor Flight, each one reflected that respect, intentionality and connection during the experience left a lasting impact.
Brown reflects, “It was just good fun to meet so many veterans from the UP. Any vet should take advantage of this and go.”
“I tell every veteran I can to go on the Honor Flight,” states Huggett. “What I got to experience, what I got to see, what I got to feel - if people have never been to Arlington National Cemetery, that is something they need to see.”
At its core, Honor Flight is more than a trip; it’s a long-overdue gesture of gratitude and respect for those who stood in defense of freedom. As a completely volunteer-based and donor-funded organization, UP Honor Flight is making a significant and lasting impact on the lives of veterans. Through the tireless efforts of volunteers and the generosity of donors, each mission ensures veterans are honored, remembered and finally told the words they should have heard long ago: welcome home.
For veterans interested in the UP Honor Flight, or for those who wish to donate to this endeavor of valor, please visit uphonorflight.org.