MIAMI – Miami International Airport, in partnership with Honor Flight South Florida and Eastern Air Lines, hosted its third Honor Flight for 78 World War II veterans on Saturday, Oct. 29. The Honor Flight event culminated with a homecoming at MIA, where more than 1,500 South Floridians gathered to take part in a receiving line that included local residents of all ages, local elected officials and members of the U.S. military, numerous honor guards, airport employees and passengers.
After departing MIA Saturday morning on Eastern Air Lines flight #1941 (named for the year that the U.S. entered World War II), the 78 living legends received tours of the World War II memorial and other military sites in the nation’s capital.
On the return trip aboard flight #1945 (the last year of the war), more than 2,000 personalized thank-you letters collected at MIA from airlines, federal agencies and other airport tenants, as well as from local school children and civic organizations, were distributed to the veterans during a traditional “mail call” for deployed soldiers. The Miami-Dade Aviation Department spearheaded the letter-writing campaign and gained support from dozens of airport and community partners.
“We’re extremely honored to host a second Honor Flight at MIA this year,” said Miami-Dade Aviation Director Emilio T. González. “These brave men and women were truly the greatest generation. They fought for the many freedoms we enjoy today and deserve events like the Honor Flight that salute their service.”