Blue Ridge Honor Flight will host a welcome home celebration for their May 13 flight at the Asheville Regional Airport beginning at 7 p.m. on Saturday, May 13. Community, family and friends are invited and encouraged to be present upon the return of World War II, Korean War, and Vietnam War veterans from their visit to their memorials in Washington, D.C. that day.

“The welcome home for these veterans is one of the most memorable and moving parts of this whole trip,” says Blue Ridge Honor Flight founder Jeff Miller. “It means so much to them to have the welcome home they never got when they returned from the war, and it’s an amazing thing for bystanders to witness.”

Those wishing to attend the event are asked to park at Gate 7 of the WNC Agriculture Center on Highway 280 beginning at 6:30 p.m. Parking is free and a complimentary shuttle will be transporting attendees to and from the airport. No parking is available in the regular airport parking lot.

Established in 2006, Blue Ridge Honor Flight’s mission is to transport America’s veterans to Washington, D.C. to visit those memorials dedicated to honor the sacrifices of themselves and their comrades.

For more information about how to get involved in Blue Ridge Honor Flight, make a donation, or to get a veteran signed up for a flight, visit the Blue Ridge Honor Flight website at blueridgehonorflight.com.

– article submitted by Karen Kater