A Veterans Day Message for You + Culver’s Fundraiser & Reunion

Illinois

To Our Veterans: We See You

To every veteran in our Lake County Honor Flight Community: Welcome home, and thank you!

Today we pause to honor you. Thank you for your service and your sacrifice. We know it wasn’t easy for many of you, and that some of what you carried home is still with you today. For some, Veterans Day carries both pride and pain, and both are okay to feel. Know this: we love you, we care about you, and we see you. Your service will never be forgotten.

Give the Gift of a Lake County Honor Flight

Our community's support makes every Lake County Honor Flight possible. Your donation helps send our veterans to Washington, D.C., to visit and reflect at the memorials built in their honor. Along the way, many veterans find healing, and many leave with friendships that last long after the journey ends. You can set up a monthly gift or give once, and any amount helps. Click here or use the Donate button below to help us send our next group of veterans on their flight.

New LCHF #32 Videos Are Here!

Relive the journey with our newest videos from Lake County Honor Flight #32: the Trailer, the Extended Cut, Leaving, and Welcome Home. The full trip video and the final picture gallery are coming soon, so stay tuned!

Join Us!

Stop by our Culver’s fundraiser today, and we hope to see you at our final reunion of the year on Sunday, November 15. Details for both are below.

With gratitude,

Lake County Honor Flight

Donate

LCHF 32 Trailer

LCHF 32 Leaving Extended Cut

LCHF 32 Welcome Home Extended Cut

November Reunion

Join Lake County Honor Flight on Sunday, November 15, from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. at the Warren Township Senior Center for our last gathering of the year. This free event is open to our Honor Flight veterans, veterans on our waiting list, guardians, volunteers, supporters, and their family and friends. Light refreshments will be provided. RSVP here to let us know you’re coming. Donations are welcome. We hope to see you there!

Culver's Fundraiser

Show your support for Lake County Honor Flight this Veterans Day, Wednesday, Nov. 11, 2026, 5 PM - 8 PM, at the Antioch, Grayslake, Libertyville, and Mundelein Culver's.

Deerfield Field of Honor

The Deerfield Field of Honor returns to Jewett Park from November 9 to 13, 2026! Hundreds of American flags will create a moving tribute to the brave men and women who have served our country.

You can honor a veteran by dedicating a flag in their name. All proceeds benefit Midwest Veterans Closet and Lake County Honor Flight. Thank you for your support!

In Remembrance

We are saddened to share the passing of a veteran from Lake County Honor Flight #20. Richard E. Fischer, 88, Vernon Hills, IL, a U.S. Army veteran who proudly served during the Vietnam War, passed away on September 23, 2026.

Richard was born in Portland and grew up in Libertyville, where he graduated from St. Joseph School and Libertyville High School. After serving in the U.S. Army in Germany, he came home and built a long career in banking. He was active in the Libertyville Historical Society and the Libertyville American Legion, and he loved traveling the world.

Our condolences go out to the Fischer family. Obituary

National Honor Flight Network

The National Honor Flight Network has announced it will expand eligibility to Gulf War and Operation Desert Storm era veterans who served through July 31, 1991, based on Veterans Affairs established dates. Beginning in the 2027 flying season, local hubs can begin bringing veterans who served between Dec. 7, 1941, and July 31, 1991.

Lake County Honor Flight (Illinois) will begin accepting applications from veterans who served during these more recent conflicts, though priority will be given to older veterans and to those currently on our waiting list. It is anticipated that our organization may begin flying Gulf War and Desert Storm veterans in approximately two years. Those who have been on the wait list longest will fly first.

The Desert Shield and Desert Storm Memorial—honoring more than 600,000 service members who deployed to help liberate Kuwait in 1991—was dedicated in October.

Lake County Honor Flight (Illinois) is an independent hub of the National Honor Flight Network and operates separately from our sister hubs. If the veteran lives outside Illinois and you would like to apply with a hub closer to home, use the Honor Flight Network’s hub locator. Select the veteran’s state and county to find the hub that serves their area: Find Your Hub by State & County

National Guard Association

Guardian Program

The Honor Flight Network has announced a new opportunity that we are excited to share. Through a new partnership with the National Guard Educational Foundation, the George and Charlotte Demetriades Guardian Program will sponsor eligible members of the National Guard Association of the United States (NGAUS) to serve as Guardians on Honor Flight trips at no cost to the National Guard member.

This first-ever nationwide program pairs veterans of different generations for a truly meaningful Honor Flight experience. Guardian donations are paid directly to the local Honor Flight hub once approved.

For more information or questions about eligibility and the application process, please click here. This program is administered through the National Guard Educational Foundation. Whether you know someone locally or in another state who may be eligible, please help us spread the word by sharing this opportunity!