U.P. Honor Flight Mission XXIII lands in Washington, D.C.

Brianna MacLean
·2 min read

WASHINGTON, D.C. (WJMN) – Another Upper Peninsula Honor Flight has landed in the nation’s capital for a trip of a lifetime.

U.P. Honor Flight Mission XXIII, made up of 77 veterans from Vietnam and Korean War eras, took off from the Delta County Airport early Thursday morning. They landed at the Reagan National Airport in Arlington, Virginia where they were met with applause and cheers at their gate. From there, the veterans spent their day traveling around Washington, visiting memorials in their honor. This included the Korean and Vietnam memorials. The U.P. Honor Flight also took their traditional group photo in front of the World War II Memorial.

Upper Peninsula Honor Flight prepares for takeoff to Washington D.C.

One of the veterans on U.P. Honor Flight Mission 23 was Jim Provost, who served as a U.S. Marine during the Vietnam War. Provost was also selected as the 2023 U.P. Veteran of the Year.

“It’s not so much the memorials here. It’s the camaraderie between all of us veterans. Veterans love veterans. Veterans help veterans more than anybody else. And that’s what we’re all about, that we help each other with everything,” expressed Provost.

A special ceremony was held at the Military Women’s Memorial for the four women on the flight. This included Tracey Tippett who served in the Marine Corps from 1987-1992 and was awarded U.P. Veteran of the Year in 2022.

Tracey Tippett (far left) and three other women on U.P. Honor Flight Mission XXIII were honored with a special ceremony at the Military Women’s Memorial.
Tracey Tippett (far left) and three other women on U.P. Honor Flight Mission XXIII were honored with a special ceremony at the Military Women’s Memorial.

Tune into Local 3 News tonight at 6 p.m. and 10 p.m. to hear more about U.P. Honor Flight Mission 23 and their experiences in Washington. You can also welcome home the veterans Thursday night at the Delta County Airport. Doors open at 7 p.m. The return flight was originally scheduled to arrive at 8:30 p.m. It is now expected to arrive at 9:30 p.m. EST.

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