74 Louisiana Veterans Return Home After Honor Flight Louisiana Trip to Washington, D.C.

By Daniele Palen, Director of Communications, LDVA

BATON ROUGE, La. — Seventy-one Vietnam War veterans and three Korean War veterans returned to Baton Rouge Metropolitan Airport on Saturday, April 11, following an all-day Honor Flight Louisiana mission to Washington, D.C. The flight was one of the most meaningful the organization has carried out, bringing veterans face to face with the memorials built in their honor, many for the first time.

Louisiana Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary Charlton Meginley served as a volunteer guardian on the flight, accompanying Vietnam veteran Mr. Les Wallace of Union Parish. Wallace served as an air traffic controller at Phu Bai, near Hue, during the Vietnam War. Following his military service, he built a career in law enforcement and continues to serve today as a Deputy Constable in Union Parish. Secretary Meginley described the experience as one of the most significant of his tenure.

“For these veterans, this trip was not a sightseeing tour,” said Secretary Meginley. “It was a mission of healing and closure that many never received when they came home. Vietnam veterans returned to a divided nation, and too many faced silence, protests, or outright hostility. Korean War veterans carried the weight of a conflict the world too often called forgotten. Honor Flight Louisiana gave them what was long overdue: the recognition, the gratitude, and the welcome home they earned.”

The group visited Arlington National Cemetery, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, as well as the Korean War Veterans Memorial and other monuments on the National Mall. Honor Flight Louisiana provides these trips at no cost to the veteran, pairing each participant with a guardian for the day. The organization serves veterans from Louisiana and Mississippi, with priority given to those who served in World War II, Korea, and Vietnam.

Louisiana is home to approximately 250,000 veterans. The Louisiana Department of Veterans Affairs serves those veterans and their families through a network of benefits counselors, veteran homes, and state veterans cemeteries. Veterans in Louisiana or Mississippi who served in World War II, Korea, or Vietnam and are interested in a future Honor Flight are encouraged to visit honorflightlouisiana.org.

Media Information: Video from Saturday’s flight is available upon request. Members of the media seeking footage, interviews, or additional information are encouraged to contact Daniele Palen at LDVAMedia@LA.GOV.

About the Louisiana Department of Veterans Affairs
The Louisiana Department of Veterans Affairs serves Louisiana’s veterans and their families through benefits counseling, veteran homes, state veterans cemeteries, and statewide outreach programs. For more information, visit ldva.la.gov.
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