The all-expenses-paid trip transported the veterans from the Albuquerque International Sunport to the nation’s capital, where they visited the memorials built to honor their service and sacrifice.
Source: 150th Special Operations Wing (via Facebook)
Photos: Courtesy
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – As part of the United States 250th anniversary of independence celebration, 32 local veterans recently received a powerful reminder of the freedoms they helped secure during the latest Honor Flight of Northern New Mexico to Washington, D.C.
The all-expenses-paid trip transported the veterans from the Albuquerque International Sunport to the nation’s capital, where they visited the memorials built to honor their service and sacrifice. For many of the attendees representing conflicts ranging from World War II and Korea to the Vietnam War, it was their first time seeing the monuments in person. Also, this year’s flight includes a 99-year-old World War II veteran, a Korean War veteran and 30 Vietnam War veterans.
The Honor Flight of Northern New Mexico is an all-volunteer, non-profit organization created solely to honor New Mexico’s veterans. Through the generosity of local donors and the dedication of volunteer “guardians” who escort the veterans throughout the trip, the organization ensures the heroes pay nothing for the experience.
Upon arriving in Washington, the group toured the World War II Memorial, the Korean War Veterans Memorial, and the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, alongside the Lincoln Memorial and Arlington National Cemetery.
As we reflect on 250 years of the American experiment, there is no better time to honor the men and women who have stood in the gap to defend it, and for the veterans, the journey offered a chance to reflect, heal, and connect with fellow service members.
The connection between the past and present was on full display during the veterans’ departure and return. Active-duty military members and Guardsmen escorted the veteran’s through the airport and helped carry their luggage to their vehicles. Also, families, and local community members lined the terminal, waving American flags and cheering to give the veterans the welcome home many of them never received decades ago.
As the sky lights up with fireworks this Fourth of July to mark two and a half centuries of American independence, the legacy of those 32 veterans and millions of others like them remains the true foundation of the nation’s celebration
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