‘Pay it back’: Maine veterans set to take trip to Washington with Honor Flight

BANGOR, Maine (WABI) – Maine has more than 100,000 veterans living in our state.

78 of them will visit our nation’s capital next week and will receive a proper “welcome home.”

Veterans will make an inaugural flight from Bangor International Airport to Washington, DC, on Friday to tour the war memorials that honor their service and sacrifice.

This is one of four free trips Honor Flight Maine has planned for this year.

The veterans will return to Bangor on Sunday, April 27th, for a Welcome Home Celebration.

The public is invited to the Maine Army National Guard hangar for the special occasion.

“Everyone comes up to say ‘welcome home’, and a lot of these folks did not get that, and this is our opportunity to pay it back,” said Colonel Nathan Arnold of the Maine Army National Guard.

“Many of them will say I have heard more ‘thank you for my service’ in the last three days than I did in the 50 years since I served,” said Matthew Mank, chairman of the board for Honor Flight Maine. “We don’t call them tears. We call them Honor Flight allergies. I’ll have plenty of allergies.”

The Welcome Home Celebration will take place at the hangar off Maine Avenue in Bangor on Sunday, April 27th at 2 p.m.

Doors will open at noon.

The public will enter near Bangor Public Works.

Click here to learn more about Honor Flight Maine.

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