Tyson and Wal-Mart honor WW II veterans

More than 70 World War II veterans will visit memorials dedicated in their honor during a trip to Washington, D.C., on Saturday, May 18, as part of the sixth Northwest Arkansas Honor Flight.

Thanks to major donations from Tyson Foods Inc. and the Walmart Foundation, as well as others, a commercial jet has been chartered to fly the veterans free of charge from Northwest Arkansas Regional Airport to Washington, D.C., and back. 

The group, which will include veterans as old as 97, will see the World War II Memorial as well as other military memorials during their day in the nation’s capital.

Flight organizers encourage the public to be at the Northwest Arkansas Regional Airport terminal at 7:30 p.m., Saturday evening, to be part of a special return reception for the veterans.

Tyson and the Walmart Foundation have each donated $25,000, which will cover a majority of the $65,000 expense for the trip. Donations are being accepted to help cover the cost of another flight the organization currently has scheduled for October 2013.

The organizers ask that anyone who wants to make a donation or help with a future trip contact Bill McKenzie, Tyson Aviation, at 479-290-5039, or via e-mail to: [email protected].

The Honor Flight Network is a national non-profit organization that started in Ohio in 2005, with six small planes taking a dozen World War II veterans to see their memorial.  Tyson Foods and the Walmart Foundation have been the primary sponsors of six Honor Flights from the Northwest Arkansas Regional Airport since 2009. There have also been three Honor Flight trips from Little Rock since 2012