GREEN BAY (NBC 26) -- A Northeast Wisconsin Old Glory Honor Flight has been canceled due to concerns about coronavirus.
When the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended no non-essential travel to South Korea due to the coronavirus, with a special warning for elderly and those with medical conditions who'd be more at risk, the trip leaders had to make the decision to cancel the trip.
According to Andrew MacDonald, president of Old Glory Honor Flight Board of Directors, the Korea Revisit Program is partially funded by the South Korean government, and 2020 is the last year of the program. There's a small possibility later this year the Honor Flight may get a second shot to travel to South Korea, but there's concern funding may not be available.
Guardians will receive their deposits back. MacDonald said it's a huge disappointment but they all understand.
Old Glory Honor Flights are organized trips that take American war veterans back to countries where they had previously served during wartime. Most Honor Flights take veterans to war memorials in Washington D.C. Many of the veterans are senior citizens and require a "guardian" younger than themselves to act as a caretaker for the veteran.
More than 1,700 cases of coronavirus have been documented in South Korea, according to Al Jazeera.
