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Council honors Rio Grande Honor Flight volunteers and veterans; speakers describe mission as life‑changing
Summary
Council members and veterans’ groups marked a round of Honor Flight trips with public comment and a standing ovation. Veterans and guardians described emotional healing at Washington, D.C., memorials and urged continued city support for homecoming events and fundraising for guardian scholarships.
A group representing Rio Grande Honor Flight addressed the El Paso City Council during public comment on Sept. 16, recounting the impact of flights that take veterans to Washington, D.C., memorials and asking the city to continue supporting homecoming ceremonies and fundraising efforts.
Denise LaBeouf, James (Master Sergeant Perry) Ashby, Terry Ashby, John Strickland and others described the flights as transformative, particularly for Vietnam veterans who said they did not receive proper welcome home ceremonies when they returned from service. Speakers described emotional moments at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial when they were welcomed and hugged for the first time after decades of trauma.
Speakers and council members noted that guardians — volunteers who accompany veterans and pay their own travel costs — make the trips possible and that guardians pay roughly $1,200 per trip. Several council members pledged donations and urged the public to support Honor Flight fundraising so the flights remain free for veterans.
Mayor Johnson and members of the council joined in applause and thanked participants for their service; the council held a special, unscheduled exchange of remarks in the chambers and invited the public to attend upcoming homecoming events.
