2801 N. Jaycee Ln. Sioux Falls SD
23rd Midwest Honor Flight “Welcome Home
Tuesday, October 15th, 2024
Sioux Falls Regional Airport
The Patriot Guard Riders have been invited to stand flag line for the “In Memory of Kenneth L Van Wechel and Paul D Van Wechel” Midwest Honor Flight Mission 23. This will be the third, and last, of three flights scheduled for this Fall of 2024. The Veterans being honored on this flight will tour areas of the Nations Capitol and many of the Veterans’ Memorials in Washington D.C. and then will be returning the evening of Tuesday, October 15th to the Sioux Falls Regional Airport with a scheduled time for arrival of 8:45 PM.
We are looking forward to another great escort with the Veterans on flight Number 23. We have been asked to post a corridor of flags, in their honor, in the lobby of the Sioux Falls Regional Airport. As of now, the Honor Flight veterans will exit as they have been, through the north doors where the busses will be parked. When they have all boarded the buses, they will be escorted to the Arena where family, friends and all others will be waiting to welcome them back from their journey. The Patriot Guard Riders have also been asked to assist the SF Police Dept. with the escort of the buses from the airport to the Arena and to resume our flag line in the Arena as the Veterans exit the buses.
Stage: NLT 8:15 PM on Tuesday, October 15th at the Sioux Falls Regional Airport, cell phone lot. If you are planning to participate in the escort, and/or the flag line in the terminal, you will need to stage in the Cell Phone lot with the buses until it is confirmed that the plane has landed. The buses will be parked at the North doors by the ticketing area and the bikes will be parked in the lot North of the hotel that’s by the terminal. The north door will be the main entrance and exit for all future Honor Flights until construction is complete. Flags will be available for the flag line in the airport lobby and again at the Arena when the buses arrive there.
We have had many “Thank You’s” and positive comments for what we do. I hope that we can carry on this wonderful support and honor that we do for our Veterans. I know that what we have done over the years has been one of the memorable parts of each our Heroes’ journey, thanks to all of you. Should there be bad weather conditions, we will still be doing the flag lines at the terminal and at the Arena. Your attendance for the flag line is always one of the highlights of the Honor Flight for the veterans. Please come if you can.
Ride Captain: Randy Ward, A.S.C.
605-359-8719
reward1948@yahoo.com