ROANOKE, Va. (WFXR) — The 10th Central and Southwest Virginia Honor Flight begins on Friday and goes through Sunday. The mission includes two area Veterans from World War II and seventeen from the Vietnam service era to Washington, D.C. at no cost to them.
The trip will depart from the National D-Day Memorial in Bedford, Virginia on Friday, April 4 at 10 a.m. and return to the D-Day Memorial on Sunday, April 6 around noon. The hub will be bringing area Veterans to the war memorials created in their honor and will be the journey of a lifetime for many who were never properly thanked for their service.
The World War II Veterans traveling are both 100-years-old. The Honor Flight Network began in 2005 to take World War II Veterans to the National World War II Memorial in Washington, D.C. at no cost to them. Since 2005, the network has escorted 317,128 Veterans to different memorials.
Time is of the essence for our area WWII Veterans. According to U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs 2024 statistics, just 66,143 of the 16.4 million Americans who served in World War II — .4% — are alive today. 2,121 of these are in Virginia. Each Veteran is accompanied by a trained volunteer guardian whose mission is to assist the veteran in any way they can — by pushing wheelchairs, carrying belongings or simply joining in a day full of celebration and reflection.
While Veterans’ trip costs are paid for in full, guardians are asked to donate $400 to cover their trip costs. Guardian applications are screened and accepted on a first-come-first-served basis. Honor Flight trips prioritize World War II and terminally ill Veterans, with Korean and Vietnam service eras considered on a space available basis.
Honor Flight trips are free of charge to the Veterans. To apply as a Veteran or a guardian on future trips or for more information, visit Central and Southwest Virginia Honor Flight’s website here. Central and Southwest Virginia Honor Flight is recognized by the Internal Revenue Service as a 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization.
