ERLANGER, Ky. — In years past, veterans have had the opportunity to fly to Washington D.C. to see the Capitol, but the pandemic has put those flights on hold for about a year.
"It was on his bucket list," Shannon Harwood said, referring to her father, Dave Hurst, who was an Army medic.
Harwood and Hurst got to go on an Honor Flight to the Capitol in 2019 before the flights were stopped in 2020.
"It was so overwhelming but in such a good way," Harwood said. "When we got to the Vietnam wall, as soon as we got off the bus, I literally had to sprint after him because he was so excited to get to the wall."
Hurst died in December, 2020, but his death is a reminder of all the veterans who didn't get to go to the Capitol in 2020 and might not be able to go in early 2021. There are about 1,000 veterans each year who want to fly to the Capitol, but only 375 can make the flight.
"It's heartbreaking that they don't get to experience that," Harwood said. "They don't get to experience seeing their memorial."
However, Honor Flight crews are hopeful that by fall, they will be able to hold the flights again depending on vaccinations.
Veterans can still sign-up for future Honor Flights by clicking here. Flightless Honor Flights are also available by clicking here.
