farragutpress

Final Honor Air flight scheduled for April 8

March 11, 2026 by Tammy Cheek

Wednesday, April 8, Knoxville’s McGhee Tyson Airport will host what is expected to be the community’s final Honor Flight to Washington, D.C.

Four of those veterans taking flight in April are from Farragut. Of those, Chester Fox, a Marine Corps veteran, and Glenn Sisco, who served in the Navy, are hoping to see the Vietnam Memorial.

“I’ve seen pictures of [the memorial], and I hope I can stand it to see all that,” said Fox, who added he served in “all of ’67” in Vietnam.

“I’ve never been to the memorial,” said Sisco, who served in Vietnam from 1962 to 1966. “I have a couple of friends who were killed the war. I hope to see their names on the memorial.

“As a service person, we’re so fortunate to walk up to the memorial,” he added. “Some others couldn’t. It’s humbling.”

In the Marine Corps, Fox was a combat engineer.

To gain a seat on the Honor Air flight, “my oldest boy, he flies for American Airlines,” Fox said. “He arranged it some way. He’s hoping to join me there.

“I hadn’t even heard about [Honor Air flights before], but it’s pretty exciting,” he added.

For Sisco, “my wife kept encouraging me to go [on the flight],” he said. “I looked it up and found out it was going to be the last one.”

So, he filled out an application and was chosen.

“I feel extremely honored and thankful to the Knoxville area [Honor Flight organization] to have these flights,” Sisco said. “It’s a privilege.

“People hear stories and know they’re appreciated,” he said.

HonorAir Knoxville, the all-volunteer nonprofit organization, which has spent nearly 20 years honoring America’s veterans, has announced it will sunset operations following its final scheduled flights in 2026.

“Honor Flights provide veterans — primarily World War II, Korean War and Vietnam-era veterans — a free one-day trip to visit the memorials built in their honor, with priority often given to senior and terminally ill veterans,” area resident Laurie Christie said. “This final flight is completely full of veterans and, as I understand it, will have no chaperones because it’s their last chance to receive this recognition in Knoxville.

“Our neighborhood will be at the airport to honor Vietnam veteran and Purple Heart recipient Mike Melvin, who was shot in Vietnam at age 18 and survived while most of his group was killed, as well as all of the veterans on this final flight.

“Founded in 2007, HonorAir Knoxville was created with a simple but powerful mission: to take World War II veterans to Washington, D.C., allowing them to stand before the memorial built in their honor and experience the nation’s gratitude firsthand,” an Honor Air press release stated. “The mission later expanded to include Korean War veterans in 2011 and Vietnam War veterans in 2015,” it stated. “With its final flight, HonorAir Knoxville will have attempted to honor every WWII, Korean and Vietnam veteran who expressed a desire to make the journey.”

Since its inception, HonorAir Knoxville has conducted 38 in-person flights and three virtual flights, honoring more than 4,500 East Tennessee veterans, according to the press release.

“The program was supported entirely by volunteers and fueled by more than $3.5 million in community donations, all of which went directly toward honoring veterans,” it added.

“Our board of directors and team believe the organization has fulfilled — and exceeded — the purpose for which HonorAir Knoxville was created,” said Eddie Mannis, president/founder. “Sunsetting the program is not an ending born of loss, but one rooted in completion, gratitude and deep respect for what this organization set out to do — and accomplished — together.”

HonorAir Knoxville currently is working on the April 8 flight.

“As in the past, priority is placed on veterans who had ‘boots on the ground,’” the release stated. “If the sunset announcement results in a significant increase in applications, the board will thoughtfully evaluate whether an additional flight in 2026 is feasible.”

Interested veterans can apply online at www.honorair-knoxville.com.