Honor Flight opens Eastern Iowa chapter

Eastern Iowa now has its own hub for the national Honor Flight organization.

In November, a group of Eastern Iowa veterans tagged along with an Honor Flight based out of the Quad Cities. The program allows World War II veterans to travel to Washington, D.C., to see the World War II Memorial and other monuments, free of charge.

The new North Central Iowa Honor Flight organization will serve veterans in Linn, Jones, Tama, Benton, Buchanan, Black Hawk and Iowa counties.

Organizers plan to take their first trip to the nation's capital in late spring or early summer. Applications will be available next week when the new chapter launches its Web site.

The group plans to take about 100 veterans and 60 guardians on the journey. A campaign to raise $75,000 to fund the trip will begin within the next few months.

By Mark Geary, KCRG-TV9