1st all-female Honor Flight takes veterans to Washington

CINCINNATI (AP) — A group that offers older veterans free flights to the nation’s capital to see war memorials said that its first all-female trip was organized with help from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

More than 140 people were on the roster for today’s Honor Flight day trip to Washington D.C. from Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport, WCPO-TV reported.

The national nonprofit has worked since 2005 to transport military veterans to their respective war memorials in D.C. No local flight has ever included more than five women at a time.

Honor Flight’s regional director, Cheryl Popp, said the organization long wanted to arrange an all-female flight but had difficulty tracking down participants. She said a VA office helped by mailing information.

“We invited 600 women, and we had 250 applications for 140 seats on the airplane. These women went through a lot, but they have wonderful stories,” Popp said.