About me
Aaron Van Beek serves as the Board President and CEO for Midwest Honor Flight. While volunteering as the President & Director of Midwest Honor Flight, he taught third grade at Kinsey Elementary in Sioux Center, Iowa for 4 years after graduating from Dordt College. Aaron also serves as the volunteer location coordinator for the South Dakota Veterans Cemetery Wreaths Across America and is a member of the Sons of the American Legion Squadron 199 of Sioux Center and of the VFW Auxiliary Unit 628 of Sioux Falls. He also serves on the Board of Directors for Siouxland Philanthropy. Although not having served in the military himself, his passion for Veterans comes from three of his great-grandfathers (WWII), one grandfather (Vietnam), and one sister (current), all who served honorably in the US Army and the US Army Air Corp.
Aaron saw a need in Northwest Iowa, South Dakota, Northeast Nebraska, and Southwest Minnesota - Veterans were not having the time or the funds to see their memorials in Washington, D.C. In 2017, as a junior in college, he started the Midwest Honor Flight through the Honor Flight Network. This was the first Honor Flight in the region to fly Korean and Vietnam Veterans, in addition to WWII Veterans, to DC under the care and supervision of Honor Flight Guardians. "They answered the call to serve our country and those around the globe. It's now our duty as a grateful nation to get them out to Washington, D.C. to see the memorials dedicated to their service and fellow comrades. It truly is the least we can do as the American people for our brave American heroes to visit their memorials dedicated to their service and sacrifice in our nation’s capital - Washington, D.C!”
As the founder of Midwest Honor Flight, Aaron has been awarded the JoEllen DeKauk Service Award in 2018, Sioux Center Community Service Award in 2018, Sioux Center Community School District Above and Beyond Award in 2018, Iowan of the Day in 2019, one of the "20 Under 40 Young Leaders" from Northwest Iowa in 2020, "Most Influential Person" from the N'West Iowa Review in 2022, the Horizon Alumni Award from Dordt University (formerly Dordt College) in 2022, and one of the "10 Under 40" from Siouxland Magazine in 2023.
