Air Force veteran takes a ride of a lifetime

This story by Mari Huglin was first published in the Shelburne News on Nov. 5, 2026. On Oct. 2, Shelburne resident Lucille Malaney began a journey she would never forget. The 83-year-old, a United States Air Force veteran who served during the Vietnam War, joined around 30 other veterans for a flight from Plattsburgh, New York, to Washington, D.C. North Country Honor Flight, based in New York and Vermont, is an organization that celebrates veterans by giving them a flight to honor their service fully free of charge. Once Malaney arrived in Plattsburgh, the organization gathered the veterans before sunrise for patriotic music and a celebration of each veteran’s military biography and speeches. Sent off by first responders and members of the community, veterans then boarded a plane and flew to Virginia. Malaney said she and some of the other veterans were getting embarrassed with all the attention so early in the morning.

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