While many mistakenly see it as a day of celebration, Memorial Day is the time to remember those who lost their lives in the service of their country. This year, Honor Flight Kentucky will be performing their first flight of the year during Memorial Day weekend.

According to a press release, 76 Kentucky veterans will spend their Memorial Day weekend in Washington, D.C. in order to take part in the event. The group will include 12 World War II, 46 Korean War and 18 Vietnam War veterans flying to Washington, D.C., to view memorials dedicated to them. The service will be free of charge.

“We have one mission – to send as many of these brave heroes to see the memorials that are dedicated to their service and sacrifices,” said Honor Flight Kentucky Board Member George Campbell.

According to usmemorialday.org, originally called Decoration Day, Memorial Day is intended as a day of remembrance for people who have died in service of the United States of America. More than two dozen towns and cities lay claim to the origin of Memorial Day.

President Lyndon Johnson officially declared Waterloo, New York the birthplace of Memorial Day in May 1966. However, it is difficult to prove conclusively this is where the first observation took place. It is clear that Memorial Day grew out of a desire to honor our dead following the Civil War. General John Logan, national commander of the Grand Army of the Republic, officially proclaimed “Decoration Day” on May 5, 1868, in his General Order No. 11. The date was chosen because it was not an anniversary of any particular battle.

The release states the participating veterans will depart from Blue Grass Airport early in the morning on May 26, returning the same day. The public is invited to honor these heroes by attending the “Welcome Home Celebration” at 9 p.m. at the Blue Grass Airport in Lexington, when veterans will return from their day of reflecting.

More than 1,000 people have attended previous celebrations. Shuttles will be available for overflow parking that evening. Both the shuttles and parking will be free of charge for Welcome Home attendees.

The Honor Flight Network is comprised of more than 130 non-profit charitable chapters located in 45 states. Veterans who participate will enjoy an all-expenses-paid trip to visit the memorials, according to the Honor Flight Kentucky website.

For more information, visit Honor Flight Kentucky’s website at http://honorflightky.org/.