Honor Flight Challenge Coins

Washington, D.C. is filled with memorials to the brave men and women of the United States Armed Forces. We honor the sacrifices of those who fought and died to keep us free in multiple ways, while recognizing that we can never fully repay them.

For millions of veterans, the names and images on those monuments are more than abstraction. They’re comrades who fought alongside those who came home, in places such as Iwo Jima, Inchon, or Da Nang.

Honoring Heroes’ Sacrifice

Many who served in battle have long wanted to see the memorials, but have never had the opportunity to go to Washington. A nonprofit organization is dedicated to honoring their service by enabling them to do so at no cost to them.

The Honor Flight Network is a nationwide umbrella group that coordinates with local chapters to regularly fly veterans to the nation’s capital and escort them around the city and the memorials. Founded in 2005, the network has since enabled more than 300,000 veterans from around the country to visit Washington.

The network functions through a series of more than 100 hubs that organizes the flights from each state. The hubs transport veterans to the nearest airport. Veterans sign up in advance, and must have a volunteer guardian with them for the trip. First priority is given to World War II vets and any veteran with a terminal illness. From there, priority on the list is based on age, with the oldest applicants highest on the list.

Flights typically take place in the spring and fall, the seasons in which D.C. temperatures and humidity are most moderate. A 2014 law helped make the flights easier at the airport. The Honor Flight Act directed the Transportation Security Administration to provide expedited and dignified screening services for veterans traveling on honor flights.

Giving Veterans Their Due

The Honor Flight recipients, many of whom are aging or in ill health, get to experience recognition they may have never seen before. They are honored at each stop of the trip as they see the memorials and monuments. They are truly celebrated for their service to a grateful nation. They receive a heroes’ welcome both when the flight lands at one of the three Washington-area airports and when they return home.

A Personal Remembrance

Challenge coins have been a long-standing part of U.S. military lore for decades. They’re particularly well-suited to Honor Flights. Veterans understand their significance and the meaning behind them. Many are likely to have challenge coin collections at home as keepsakes of their service.

What Makes Challenge Coins Meaningful

Challenge coins have long been a part of military service, beginning as early as World War I. That’s when an Army Air Corps lieutenant had custom coins struck for his squadron. When one of the flyers was shot down and captured by German troops, he was stripped of all identification. He was able to keep the coin, which he wore in a pouch around his neck.

The airman was able to escape German custody and made his way to a French unit nearby. The French soldiers, believing him to be a German spy, prepared to execute him. When he was able to produce his coin to show his identity, they instead escorted him safely back to his unit. That’s the most common story of how carrying challenge coins at all times became a tradition.

An Individual Keepsake

Since then, every branch of the U.S. military has adopted challenge coins. Units, squad, and individuals often create their own unique designs. They’re an intensely personal way to commemorate the fellow soldiers with whom someone served, the deployments they shared, the vessel they served on, or even inside jokes.

Challenge coins also can be symbols of achievement, such as the Airman coin given to Air Force recruits at the completion of basic training. Other coins can be presented by officers for accomplishments and recognition.

Each member is likely to have his or her own personal collection of coins, representing all those things. Honor Flight commemorative coins add to that collection a personal memento of their experience in the nation’s capital.

Honor Flight Coin Designs

Creating custom coins for Honor Flight veterans is like designing any other military challenge coin. The coins typically include information such as the date of the trip, specific service branch(es) aboard the flight and similar information.. The reverse side can also feature the name and/or logo of organizations sponsoring a flight.

Making Sure Heroes Are Not Forgotten 

As a nation, we must never forget the true price of our freedom, paid by those who fought and died for it. Honor Flights commemorate veterans in a meaningful way that gives them the opportunity to remember their service and honor those who fought alongside them.

Count on Us

At Challenge Cons 4 Less, we’ve designed custom coins for 20 years. Our experienced and talented artists will be glad to help you create distinguished Honor Flight coins that you can present with pride.

We’ll work with you every step of the way to ensure your design honors veterans in exactly the way you want. If you’d like to find out more, call us toll free at (855) 272-8451, or email us. Already have a design in mind? Great! Fill out our no-obligation Free Quote form and we’ll send you a free digital proof of your design. We are honored to be able to help celebrate our nation’s heroes.

For more information about Honor Flights:

https://www.honorflight.org/