Honor Flight Newsletter (Spring 2025)
If you ever think your gift to Honor Flight might not make a difference…take a listen
To send our veterans to Washington, Honor Flight Syracuse depends entirely on generous donations, small and large, throughout the year. Without your support, the flights simply couldn’t happen.
”You’re all family when you’re over there”
Vietnam vet Ron Cihocki of West Leyden swept 15 miles of road every day for mines as a combat engineer.
The Origin Story of Honor Flight Syracuse
22 Missions to Washington and counting. More than 1600 veterans have made the trip so far. Have you ever wondered how it all got started?
Bottle and can drive nets $17,500!
Honor Flight Syracuse wants to thank each and every one of you who braved steady April showers to donate your bottles and cans.
”I lost a lot of brothers there…”
“I lost a lot of brothers there…but I had to be here for closure.” Vietnam veteran Wally Gaworecki Jr. flew Mission 22 with his guardian/son “Wally 3.”
50 years after the Vietnam war ended, Honor Flight veterans tell their story
Thank you Don Cazentre and the Post-Standard/syracuse.com for a powerful story from Mission 22. And thank you Butch and Wally for your service!
Honoring Our Veterans, One Quilt at a Time
It started with six quilts a little more than a decade ago. Two members of the Thread Bears Quilters’ Guild sewed a special memento for veterans they knew who were traveling on Honor Flight Syracuse’s (HFS) inaugural mission.
Family Reunion at the Welcome Home
Rhonda Koskowski’s dad, Harold Farden of Sterling, went on Mission 22 with her brother, Jack Farden, as guardian. They had 21 family members at his Homecoming!
”Very moving, very touching”
Dave Sanders of Auburn served us in the Navy from 1955-1975, during the Cold War and Vietnam era. He served on aircraft carriers assigned to anti-submarine squadrons.
Circle your summer calendar for July 19!
It started 10 summers ago, in 2015. The Whitney Memorial Poker Run quickly became one of our biggest annual fundraisers. Featured on the official poster for this year’s event is the “old Sarge” (our Dad).
Vietnam vet recalls Tet Offensive
Butch Gaworecki and guardian Mike Barycki joined the other 81 veterans on Mission 22. Videographer Andy Robinson caught up with Butch at the Vietnam wall.
“Mail Call”
The return flight to Syracuse each mission day includes a large envelope of cards and letters for each veteran. Those cards and letters are the loving work of dozens and dozens of people young and older who love our veterans.