Donor Story

Continuing the Legacy of the Big Sky Honor Flights

October 18, 2020

Launched in 2012, the Big Sky Honor Flight transported 750 WWII veterans on nine flights to Washington, D.C. as a way to honor Montana veterans and celebrate their service. The last flight took off in 2014 as Big Sky Honor Flight’s mission was complete: all WWII veterans in Montana, who could physically make the trip and had the desire, were able to visit our nation’s capital.

Through the new Montana Veterans Fund, the dollars raised through Big Sky Honor Flight and future gifts to the new fund will continue to honor and support our veterans here in Montana.

In 2019, the Montana Veterans Fund, an endowed fund at Montana Community Foundation, was created to continue the good work of the honor flights and support veterans in Montana forever. Of the remaining funds from the Big Sky Honor Flight Fund, $10,000 was sent to the National Honor Flight Hub organization for the “Lone Eagle Program” which helps send individual Montana veterans on to join WWII veterans from other states as they visit the World War II Memorial in Washington. DC. The remaining funds were placed into the new Montana Veterans Fund.