The Honor Flight program was conceived by Earl Morse, a Physician Assistant and Retired Air Force Captain, to honor his fellow veterans. Mr. Morse has taken care of WWII veterans for the past 27 years. Honor Flight originated in May 2005 with six small planes flying 12 veterans from Springfield to Washington, DC. In 2006, the list of interested veterans began to expand rapidly.  Soon various commercial airline carriers were used to accommodate as many veterans as possible, as quickly as possible. Partnering with Honor Air in Hendersonville, North Carolina, and Hero Flight in Provo, Utah, the "Honor Flight Network" was formed and began aggressively expanding programs to other cities across the nation.

Honor Flight South Alabama, a hub affiliated with the national network, was founded by the South Alabama Veterans' Council. A cadre of dedicated volunteers assembled and organized, and Senator Jeff Sessions and Congressman Jo Bonner graciously agreed to co-chair the HFSA Board of Trustees. Our founding sponsor and "Medal of Honor" level donor, Springhill Medical Center, enthusiastically joined the effort providing myriad resources bringing Honor Flight South Alabama into existence.