News

Public invited to welcome veterans as HonorFlight celebrates 20th year

By Bill Moss, Published: September 24, 2026

Blue Ridge Honor Flight celebrates two decades of honoring Western North Carolina veterans when a special 20th anniversary Honor Flight to Washington, D.C., takes off from Asheville Regional Airport Saturday morning.

Seventy-eight Western North Carolina veterans will depart from AVL, accompanied by their guardians and the Blue Ridge Honor Flight team, for a full day in the nation’s capital visiting the memorials dedicated to the service and sacrifice of American soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines.

Saturday’s mission continues a tradition that began in Western North Carolina in 2006 as HonorAir and has continued through Blue Ridge Honor Flight: providing veterans the opportunity to visit the memorials built in their honor at no cost to the veteran.

Cofounded as HonorAir by Hendersonville’s Jeff Miller, the organization has spawned dozens of hubs nationwide that have flown thousands of veterans to the nation’s capital to visit the memorials and bask in the appreciation many of them never received upon their return home.

On Saturday the veterans are scheduled to visit the National World War II Memorial, Korean War Veterans Memorial, Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Vietnam Women’s Memorial and Lincoln Memorial.

“This 20th anniversary flight is an opportunity not only to honor the veterans traveling with us to Washington, but also to recognize 20 years of Western North Carolina coming together to make these missions possible,” Blue Ridge Honor Flight President and Flight Lead Neil Denman said.

Blue Ridge Honor Flight encourages the public to gather at Asheville Regional Airport Saturday evening to welcome the 78 veterans home.

“The Welcome Home is one of the most meaningful parts of the entire day, and we hope our community will come out in force to give these veterans the homecoming they deserve,” Denman said.

Families, friends, veterans organizations, community groups and members of the public are encouraged to attend. Flags, signs and patriotic spirit are welcome.

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Supporters, family and friends of veterans should arrive at 7:45 p.m. The flight home is expected to land at 9:15 p.m. The Welcome Home is free and open to the public. Free parking will be available at Gate 7 of the WNC Agricultural Center, with free shuttle service to and from the Welcome Home hangar.