Eastern Iowa Honor Flight 50 honors philanthropist Myron ‘Mike’ Wilson

CEDAR RAPIDS — When the 50th Eastern Iowa Honor Flight takes off May 1, it will be named in honor of World War II veteran and philanthropist Myron “Mike” Wilson, who, with his late wife, Esther, contributed millions to area arts, social services and recreation organizations.

“We are incredibly grateful to not only the sacrifice Mike has made for our country but also the Wilsons’ generosity to this organization,” Eastern Iowa Honor Flight President Lynette Voss said in a statement. “As a nonprofit organization, we can say that we simply would not exist today without their generous contributions. In honor of his generosity and lifelong support of fellow veterans, the board voted unanimously to name the 50th flight after Mike Wilson.”

Wilson, who turned 99 last fall, will be aboard that flight, which will carry 88 veterans — two from WWII, 11 from the Korean War, nine from both the Korean and Vietnam wars and 66 with the Vietnam War — from Cedar Rapids to visit monuments and memorials in Washington, D.C., and back to Cedar Rapids the same day.

Wilson, who had been on the organization’s board, served in the Navy from 1944 to 1946. He joined Collins Radio in Cedar Rapids in 1951 and retired in 1990. The Wilsons contributed — or what he prefers to call “sharing” — between $5 and $6 million to area arts organizations, social services and outdoor recreation causes.

The previous 49 Eastern Iowa Honor Flights, which began in 2009, have flown 4,418 veterans along with their guardians to the nation’s capitol, the organization said. The Eastern Iowa group serves veterans in Benton, Iowa, Jasper, Jones, Johnson, Linn, Marshall, southern Tama, Poweshiek and Washington counties.

The organization also has planned honors flights for May 28, Sept. 17 and Oct. 8.

For the May 1 flight, the public is invited to welcome the veterans as they return that night to The Eastern Iowa Airport. The ceremony, which involves a military band, flag line and local police and fire departments, begins at 7:30 p.m. The flight is scheduled to return to Cedar Rapids about 9 p.m. that night.