Meet the women behind the Twin Tiers Honor Flight Missions

WBNG
By Madeline L. Adams

SOUTHERN TIER, N.Y. (WBNG) — The Twin Tiers Honor Flight, a program that takes veterans on trips to the nation’s capital, wouldn’t be possible without the dedication of the women behind the scenes.

Patty Vincent, president and medical director of Twin Tiers Honor Flight, said her first mission did not go as planned. The trip departed from Ithaca, ran two hours late and did not return until 4:30 the following morning.

Despite that, Vincent said she returned after receiving a phone call asking her to use her medical skills on a second trip.

“I kind of got hooked,” she said.

Vincent has led the organization since 2019. Her connection to the mission is personal — her great-aunt served in the Navy, was head nurse at the hospital in Pearl Harbor during the attack and became the first female captain in the Navy. Vincent said she is named after her.

“She’s buried at Arlington. So quite often when we go there, she’s not far from the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, so I’ll go down and have a little conversation,” Vincent said.