More than 40 Panhandle veterans, family members, and volunteers traveled to Washington this week to tour Congress and the memorials that commemorate their service and sacrifice. U.S. Congressman Mac Thornberry (R-Clarendon) hosted the group today for a special tour of the Capitol where he had the opportunity to speak to them on the Floor of the House.

“I consider it a great privilege each year to meet with veterans from our area that visit Washington as a part of the Texas Panhandle Honor Flight,” Thornberry said. “It’s an opportunity for us to show them around the very democratic institutions that they sacrificed so much to protect. We were happy to welcome these veterans, their family members, and many other wonderful volunteers who made the Flight possible.”

The Texas Panhandle Honor Flight is organized and sponsored by the local chapter of America Supports You Texas (ASYT), which is headquartered in Amarillo. The Honor Flights are part of ASYT’s efforts to promote awareness and support for our U.S. military service members and veterans, as well as their families. The group also organizes care boxes for active duty personnel, sponsors an annual Armed Forces Day banquet, and organizes welcome home and return to duty rallies.

“Organizations like America Supports You Texas help remind us that our country remains strong because of what these veterans sacrificed. Groups like this play an important role in ensuring our veterans receive our deepest gratitude and thanks,” Thornberry says.  

Honor Flight is a national program that began a decade ago as a project to offer World War II veterans all-expenses-paid overnight trips to Washington, D.C., to see the National World War II Memorial. Today, these flights honor America’s veterans by paying for and transporting groups of veterans from all over the country to see the memorials designed and erected to honor their service. 

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Click here to download photos from the Texas Panhandle Honor Flight Capitol visit