Local veterans take off for Honor Flight Wednesday

A group of veterans from across southern New Mexico and El Paso have set out on one final mission, this time to their nations capital.

The Honor Flight of 30 veterans from World War II, the Korean War and Vietnam, will arrive in Washington D.C. on Wednesday with plans to visit 7 of the nations most cherished monuments.

For some of the veterans, it’ll be their first time in the capital city while others haven’t visited in decades and are eager to pay their respects to fallen friends at various memorials.

Those visits will be to memorials for Korea, WWII, Vietnam, the Navy Memorial, Women’s Memorial, Air Force and Arlington National Cemetery.

“I have a sister buried there, she is retired Air Force and I have a niece buried there and she was the wife of an army infantry captain,” said WWII and Korea vet Robert Schiffner.

This trip is the 12th flight for veterans from the areas of El Paso and Southern New Mexico.

Several weeks earlier, a pre-flight meeting was held in las cruces where flight members were fitted for honor jackets, certificates and an official call back to service from a high ranking officer.

“This year we had a Lieutenant Colonel who is administering the oath and it is basically a message to them saying this is a serious thing for us,” said Honor Flight Chairman Dennis Prickett. “Hopefully it is serious for them that this is one last mission for them.”

Many of the men are Vietnam vets who remember being badly mistreated the last time they were in D.C.

“I landed in D.C. during the riots,” said veteran John Orr. I came off the plane and it wasn’t a real good time, a lot of things were said and different things were thrown.”

Along with the veterans, their guardians and trip organizers, ABC-7’s Michael Gordon will be embedded with the Honor Flight and will have further news from the groups activities.