BEDFORD, Va. (WFXR) — Central and Southwest Virginia Honor Flight will execute Mission 11 on October 17-19, 2025, taking one area Korean War veteran and sixteen from the Vietnam service era to Washington D.C. at no cost to them. The trip departed from the National D-Day Memorial in Bedford, Virginia on Friday at 10am and will return to the D-Day Memorial on Sunday at approximately 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 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 their memorials. Time is of the essence for our area WWII veterans. According to U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs 2025 statistics, just 45,418 of the 16.4 million Americans who served in World War II are alive today.
1,456 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 www.cswvirginiahonorflight.org.
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