HONOR FLIGHT OF SOUTHERN NEW MEXICO

Rio Grande Honor Flight transports America's war veterans to Washington DC to view the memorials built to honor all those who served. We focus on finding Veterans living in southern New Mexico and the El Paso region, with special emphasis on World War II and Korean War Veterans. When possible, we complete our flight each year with Vietnam war veterans.

Rio Grande Honor Flight has completed 20 missions. Over the last seventeen years, we have taken over 550 Veterans from Southern New Mexico and the El Paso region to Washington DC to view the memorials built in their honor. Often-times this is the first time these heroes open up and deal with the pain they have been suffering with for many years. One quote from one of our Veterans is “One person told me that he had been in Korea and Vietnam and had spent 64 years trying to get home, and said 'I’m home now!’” Because of the impact this trip has on these Veterans, many of them have specified that they want to be buried in their yellow Honor Flight jacket.

Every Veteran is taken on the flight at no cost to themselves. Each Veteran is assigned a Guardian, who has the responsibility of seeing to the needs of the Veteran on the trip. Guardians pay $1000 to go on the trip - many of them find external sources of their fee from employers or community organizations. Family members or friends of Veteran applicants may apply to go on the flight as a Guardian. Guardian applicants must understand, however, that the flight is not a vacation, but is instead an opportunity to serve our Veterans. Unless the Veteran has specific self-care or personal needs which can only be provided by a family member, there is no guarantee that the Guardian application will be approved. Guardian needs are determined by the Flight Team in relation to the needs of all of the Veterans approved for the upcoming flight.

Rio Grande Honor Flight is governed by a volunteer Board of Directors, and is supported by volunteers and donors throughout southern New Mexico and El Paso.