Hawaii military veterans can apply for a free tour to Washington, D.C., in recognition of their service.

The Honor Flight Network is a nonprofit organization that has been taking military veterans to Washington for free since 2005.

Big Island resident Gary Todd was part of Hawaii’s first honor flight trip in November 2022, which took 26 veterans from across the state to the nation’s capital for a tour of its many memorials and museums.

The group flew from Honolulu to Portland, Ore., to Washington for free and received free meals and accommodations as part of the experience.

According to Todd, the veterans were greeted and celebrated upon their arrival.

“We couldn’t have felt more respected and pleased with the experience,” Todd said. “Every staff member, tour guide and guardian with us was amazing. It was nothing short of spectacular.”

Once they were in Washington, the group spent two days seeing 18 U.S. memorials, many of which are dedicated to veterans.

“We were taken to these famous memorials, and they were awe-inspiring and absolutely gorgeous. I didn’t even know about a couple of them,” Todd said. “We also got to go to the Marine Corps Museum, and they kept it open a little longer than normal for us. This meant so much to me as a Marine sergeant.”

According to Honor Flight, the trip gives U.S. veterans the appreciation and honor they deserve through a special occasion with their comrades. They can share their stories with each other and create lasting bonds that surpass the trip.

While the nonprofit originally focused on World War II veterans, it has since expanded to include those who have served during the Korean and Vietnam wars. The program also honors veterans of any service era who are critically ill.

“I want to get the word out to our veterans in Hawaii, because I feel like a majority of them don’t know about the program,” Todd said. “There isn’t an Honor Flight for Hawaii planned at the moment, but when they have enough applicants, there will be a date set.”

Todd is an umpire for kupuna softball on Hawaii island, and he plans to pass out his own flyers about Honor Flight to any veteran interested in the free trip.

“All a veteran needs to do is learn about the program, see if they are qualified with their health and age, and then apply,” Todd said. “This experience was life-changing for me, which is why I want to spread the word, so more veterans from our state can use the opportunity to feel the same honor we all did.”

For more information, email Todd at garywmtodd@gmail.com or visit honorflight.org.