An Honor Flight for area veterans is about one week away from wheels-up to Washington, D.C. for a whirlwind tour of the various veterans’ monuments and the community. Steve Livengood, coordinator for the Honor Flight, paid for by Atlantic natives and successful businessmen Roger Underwood and Jeff Becker. About 150 veterans will depart Des Moines on specially chartered flight bound for Washington D.C., during the early morning hours of June 17th, but Atlantic will be buzzing with pre-flight activities prior to that.

Livengood says on Monday, there’ll be about 40 guardians arriving in town around 2-p.m., 12 of whom are medical professionals. The vets will be arriving between 4 and 5-p.m. to get registered and uniforms issued. An “Honor Dinner” will be served at the Cass County Community Center at 5-p.m., followed by a group photo and the boarding of three buses with departure slated for 7:30-p.m.

The buses will pass through Atlantic, Anita, Wiota on the way to Interstate 80 near Adair. They will be escorted by more than 80 motorcycles. Livengood says if you are interested in joining the motorcade, you can still contact him at 712-243-5445. You don’t have to travel the entire route to Des Moines, but those who do escort the buses are asked to exit at the Jordan Creek turn-off.
In addition to the motorcade, the route will be lined with citizens gathered to wish the travelers well.

8×12-inch flags will be available for you to pick up at various points along the way between Atlantic and Adair, for you to wave as the buses pass by. The veterans will get a few hours’ sleep before their flight departs Des Moines at 6-a.m. After touring the sites in D.C. and boarding the hop back home, they’ll board buses again in Des Moines and arrive at around midnight next Tuesday, in Atlantic.