SPRINGDALE, Ark. – During a trip to Washington, DC, on May 21 as a part of the third Northwest Arkansas Honor Flight, more than 90 World War II veterans plan to visit memorials dedicated in their honor. Thanks to donations from Tyson Foods Inc., Walmart Foundation and others, a commercial jet will fly the veterans from Northwest Arkansas Regional Airport to Washington and back. More than 40 volunteer guardians and some medical personnel will also participate.

Veterans participating this year range from 85 to 94 years of age. They will visit the World War II Memorial and other military memorials during the day.


“We’re proud to continue our support of Honor Flight, which is an excellent way to show our appreciation to those who served our country during the war,” said Bill McKenzie, director of Tyson Aviation, who is the coordinator for the Northwest Arkansas hub of Honor Flight. “The feedback we received from the first two trips to the capital was so positive we knew we had to offer more.”

Tyson and the Walmart Foundation have each donated $25,000, which will cover a majority of the $65,000 expense for the May 21 trip. Donations are still being accepted to help cover the cost of another flight the organization hopes to schedule in the fall.

Honor Flight Network is a national non-profit organization that started five years ago in Ohio, with six small planes taking a dozen World War II veterans to see the memorial. Today, there are 105 hubs in 34 states and the organization’s mission is to “transport America's veterans to Washington, DC to visit those memorials dedicated to honor their service and sacrifices."