ARIZONA NEWS

Honor Flight Arizona to make milestone 100th trip with American war veterans

Sep 11, 2023, 1:00 PM | Updated: 1:52 pm

Members of an Honor Flight Arizona trip visit the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C. The nonprofit organization's milestone 100th trip begins Tuesday, Sept. 12, 2023. Members of an Honor Flight Arizona trip visit the World War II Memorial in Washington, D.C. The nonprofit organization's milestone 100th trip begins Tuesday, Sept. 12, 2023. Montage of scenes from Honor Flight Arizona trip to Washington, D.C. The nonprofit organization's milestone 100th trip begins Tuesday, Sept. 12, 2023.

PHOENIX – A Valley nonprofit group that provides American war heroes with free trips to Washington, D.C., to visit their memorials will reach a major milestone this week.

Honor Flight Arizona will depart on its 100th trip Tuesday, the first of four flights scheduled from Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport during the organization’s fall season.

The landmark excursion will include a group of Korean War and Vietnam War veterans from across service branches as well as two World War II veterans.

“[It’s] a real treat for us to have two World War II veterans in their late 90s aboard tomorrow,” Rick Hardina, president of Honor Flight Arizona, told KTAR News 92.3 FM’s Arizona’s Morning News on Monday.

Hardina said that out of the 16 million Americans who served in WWII, only one out of every 100 is still living.

Who will be part of Honor Flight Arizona’s 100th trip?

Tuesday’s travel party will be twice as large as a typical Honor Flight Arizona group, with more than 100 participants, including veterans, guardians, trip leaders and medics.

“We take them to all the major memorials, including, which is really amazing, the changing of the guard at Arlington,” Hardina said.

The guardians, who are often the sons or daughters of the veterans, have to pay their own way.

“But we get the word back constantly [that] it’s the trip of a lifetime for both, and that they never forget it,” Hardina said.

What about other Honor Flight Arizona trips?

Honor Flight Arizona, part of the nationwide Honor Flight Network, has been providing WWII, Cold War, Korean War and Vietnam War veterans with excursions to Washington since 2009.

After this week’s outing, there are three more three-day trips scheduled for the fall: Sept. 26-28, Oct. 11-13 and Oct. 24-26.

War veterans and their loved ones can find information about joining a trip to Washington at the group’s website.

“Whenever you see a cap out there with one of those wars listed, be sure to help get them to our website and we’ll get them to their memorials,” Hardina said.

We want to hear from you.

Have a story idea or tip? Pass it along to the KTAR News team here.

Arizona News

Leovigildo Barragan Eraujo...

KTAR.com

Suspect arrested after woman found dead at west Phoenix shopping plaza

A suspect was arrested Wednesday in connection with the murder of a woman at a west Phoenix shopping plaza two weeks earlier.

6 minutes ago

ADOT updates its 25-year transportation plan each five years.  (Pixabay Photo)...

Serena O'Sullivan

ADOT shares its 25-year Long Range Transportation Plan with the public

ADOT said its Long Range Transportation Plan public on Wednesday. The 25-year future plan outlined funding, projects and other details.

1 hour ago

A man is seen in handcuffs in a stock photo. Nicholas Murphy, 43, made his initial appearance in a ...

KTAR.com

Volunteer Scottsdale high school football coach accused of child sex crimes in Nebraska

A volunteer football coach at a Scottsdale high school has been accused of child sex crimes in Nebraska, authorities said.

2 hours ago

scottsdale patrol vehicle parked behind caution tape...

KTAR.com

Scottsdale man forced to withdraw money from ATM after home invasion

A north Scottsdale man was robbed in a home invasion early Wednesday and forced to pull out money from an ATM.

3 hours ago

Animal shelters in Arizona are seeing a growing number of Huskies enter the shelter system....

Colton Krolak

Here’s why Maricopa County is seeing a rise in Huskies in shelters

Animal shelters in Arizona are seeing a growing number of Huskies enter the shelter system making them among the most common breeds in shelters.

7 hours ago

Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks announced approximately $240 million in awards for the e...

Kevin Stone

Research and development hub based at ASU gets nearly $40M in funding from CHIPS Act

A regional innovation hub based at Arizona State University was awarded nearly $40 million in federal funding to promote technological advances.

7 hours ago

Sponsored Articles

...

SCHWARTZ LASER EYE CENTER

Key dates for Arizona sports fans to look forward to this fall

Fall brings new beginnings in different ways for Arizona’s professional sports teams like the Cardinals and Coyotes.

...

re:vitalize

When most diets fail, re:vitalize makes a difference that shows

Staying healthy and losing weight are things many people in Arizona are conscious of, especially during the summer.

...

DAY & NIGHT AIR CONDITIONING, HEATING AND PLUMBING

Here are the biggest tips to keep your AC bill low this summer

PHOENIX — In Arizona during the summer, having a working air conditioning unit is not just a pleasure, but a necessity. No one wants to walk from their sweltering car just to continue to be hot in their home. As the triple digits hit around the Valley and are here to stay, your AC bill […]

Honor Flight Arizona to make milestone 100th trip with American war veterans