With Honor Flight Southern Indiana gearing up for their next flight, EVV18 on May 3rd, 2025, they are asking for the public’s assistance in making the day more memorable for the Veterans.
In preparation for the flight, they have made a wishlist of care package items they are seeking donations of to give to the Veterans. They are looking for donations of:
- Fun/Miniature size candy bars
- Full size candy bars
- Individual (1 oz) boxes of raisins
- Individual packages of cookies, trail mix, or nuts
- Individual packages of chips and crackers
- Individually wrapped hard candy (including sugar free varieties)
- Small travel size sunscreen and hand sanitizer
- Individual travel size wet ones packs
While they are planning on giving these items to 86 Veterans and 86 guardians, any donation amounts are appreciated.
They will also be accepting promotional marketing items (excluding pens) from Tri-State businesses and items from an Amazon wishlist with specific items they are hoping to receive. The Amazon wishlist can be found at amazon.com/registries/gl/guest-view/1GFHIZ26NO8E0.
These donations can be dropped off April 7th through 11th from 8 AM to 5 PM at the following locations:
- Evansville Red Cross Building Lobby – 29 South Stockwell Road
- Bauerhaus office – 13605 Darmstadt Road
- Pinnacle Computer Services – 640 South Hebron Avenue
As part of celebrating the Veterans returning, the honor flight holds “Operation Mail Call”, where they are given letters from family, friends, and members of the Tri-State community, to let these Veterans know that even after all the years, their sacrifices for our Freedoms have not been forgotten.
Each Veteran will receive a Mail Call envelope with dozens of cards and letters, but they need the public’s help, making mail ranging from simple cards, hand-written letters, and coloring pages from children.
Letters should be left unsealed as they are easier for the Veterans to open. If you do not know the Veteran you are writing to, use “Dear Veteran” as your greeting. Do not date your letter. Examples of signatures can include: Bobby, Mrs. Jones’ 4th Grade Class, Castle Elementary, or A Grateful American.
The dates they are accepting these letters are from April 1st through 18th.
Letters that can be given to a randomly selected veteran can be dropped off at the following drop box locations:
- Old National Bank Branches Located in Southern Indiana
- Jasper, IN:
- Green Thumb Landscaping & Garden Center – 702 Third Ave
- Jasper Public Library – 100 Third Ave
- Huntingburg Downtown Emporium 407 E. 4th St Huntingburg, IN
- Ferdinand Public Library 112 W. 16th St Ferdinand, IN
- Walker’s Hometown Store – 1023 W. Broadway St Princeton, IN
- Newburgh Chandler Public Library – 4111 Lakeshore Dr, Newburgh, IN
- Tim’s Computers – 1300 W. Morton St Oakland City, IN
- Bauerhaus Office -13605 Darmstadt Rd Darmstadt, IN
- Henderson Co. Public Library – 101 S. Main St Henderson, KY
- Newburgh Chandler Public Library – 4111 Lakeshore Dr Newburgh, IN
- Newburgh Chandler Public Library – 402 S. Jaycee St Chandler, IN
- Evansville, IN:
- Golden Corral Evansville Location – 130 Cross Pointe Blvd
- Evansville Public Libraries
- Evansville Red Cross Building – 29 S. Stockwell Rd
- Evansville VA Clinic – 6211 E. Waterford Blvd
- Mission BBQ Evansville Restaurant – 1530 N. Green River Rd
- Pinnacle Computer Services – 640 S. Hebron
- EVPL Central Branch – 200 SE MLK Jr. Blvd
- EVPL East Branch – 840 E. Chandler Ave
- EVPL McCollough Branch – 5115 Washington Ave
- EVPL North Park Branch – 960 Koehler Dr
- EVPL Oaklyn Branch – 3001 Oaklyn Dr
- EVPL Red Bank Branch – 120 S. Red Bank Rd
- EVPL Stringtown Branch – 2100 Stringtown Rd
- EVPL West Branch – 2000 W. Franklin St
Any personal mail for a specific Veteran going on this flight should either be mailed to Operation Mail Call, HFSI-EVV18, PO Box 8234, Evansville, IN 47716, dropped at the Evansville Red Cross Building drop box or contact the bus captain for that specific Veteran. These letters to be received by a specific Veteran should also be marked on the lower left corner of the envelope’s front side with the Veteran’s full name (first name, last name, and middle initial if known), as well as their bus color if it is known.
Another way the Honor flight celebrates these veterans when they come back home is the welcome home parade. The community is invited to bring American flags and banners on the day of the flight, May 3rd, 2025, to give these heroes the homecoming most never received.
Those wanting to welcome back the veterans can go to Anchor Industries, with entrances located off HWY 41 and HWY 57, and at 6:30 PM will be transported to the airport. Parking must be made at Anchor Industries as airport parking will be reserved for the Veterans, their guardians, airport customers, and those with parking permits only.
Approximately, the plane will land at 8 PM CST, and at 8:30 CST the parade will begin. Guests for the parade are not allowed to bring coolers or personal chairs into the airport.
Any updates about the welcome parade will be made on the Honor Flight of Southern Indiana Facebook page.
For more details about how you can contribute to the honor flight, or Honor Flight of Southern Indiana, visit: honorflightsi.org/.
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