Honor flights cancelled for Central Coast veterans during coronavirus pandemic

SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. - Central Coast honor flights have been cancelled amid the coronavirus pandemic.

A few times a year, Central Coast veterans can take part in an honor flight. An honor flight is a trip back to Washington D.C. to visit war memorials.

Now, the next two flights for April and June have been cancelled.

There were about 44 veterans scheduled to be a part of those trips. Many of them fought in World War II and Korea.

The honor flight board wants to make sure many of the older veterans on their list can go.

"Some of our veterans, they've passed within a month of returning," said Robert Tolan, vice-chair of Honor Flight Central Coast California. "It was like they were waiting to go on the honor flight before they passed.... So we really hope we can get them there before we lose them."

Chairman Bear McGill said they already have a plan for flights "coming up in September and one in October. We'll be moving all those veterans that were set up for the spring to be put on to our fall flights."

They try to fly three to four times a year, taking around 70 veterans total.

The Central Coast chapter has taken over 350 veterans to the nation's capital. Right now they have 200 veterans on the waiting list.

The group says they have not lost money as a result of cancelling the trips, but they did cancel a large fundraiser event.

After every flight, they also hold a welcome home veterans celebration. Those have been cancelled as well.

Honor flight organizers are hoping to reschedule those flights as soon as the coronavirus epidemic is over.