The Sconi

The Green Bay Packers, Milwaukee Bucks and Milwaukee Brewers are poised to join forces early next month in sponsoring three planeloads of local veterans on the Stars and Stripes Honor Flight's 65th mission.

Dubbed the "Flight of Champions," the event is set to honor well over 200 Korean War and Vietnam War veterans from southeastern and east-central Wisconsin with a one-day, all-expenses-paid trip to Washington, DC.

With two planes scheduled to take off from Milwaukee and another from nearby Green Bay, the mission of the trip is to give Korean War and Vietnam War veterans a chance to visit the memorials built in their honor and to thank them for their brave service. The trip will also include guardians and alumni from the three sports teams.

“We are thrilled to welcome our veterans, guardians and representatives of the Packers, Brewers and Bucks to this once-in-a-lifetime journey,” Stars and Stripes Honor Flights President Karyn Roelke told Packers.com.

In addition to the Saturday, Oct. 8, scheduled trip, the Stars and Stripes Honor Flight organization also has flights penciled in for September and November, where nearly 9,000 veterans from the area are slated to take part. Founded in 2008, the volunteer-run organization puts 97 cents of each dollar donated directly into flying the veterans from Wisconsin to Washington.

"So many of our Vietnam War and Korean War veterans came home to disinterest or to a hostile reception," Roelke said. "What an honor it will be to finally welcome them home properly and hopefully replace some of those difficult memories with positive ones."