October 19, 2009 – 90 World War II veterans from the northwest Arkansas region visited the World War II Memorial in Washington, D.C. this past weekend as part of a trip Tyson Foods, Inc. helped fund and organize.

The trip, called “Honor Flight,” was planned in coordination with a national organization called the Honor Flight Network.  It was established four years ago to “transport America's veterans to Washington, D.C. to visit those memorials dedicated to honor their service and sacrifices.”

Through Tyson’s involvement, and because of contributions by the Walmart Foundation and others, a commercial jet was chartered to fly the veterans free of charge from Northwest Arkansas Regional Airport to Washington D.C. and back.  Volunteer guardians and some medical personnel were also on the flight, bringing the total number of people on the trip to more than 140.

The plane carrying the Honor Flight group received a water-cannon salute from the airport fire department as it taxied to the runway for take-off.

The veterans on the flight, who are between the ages of 85 and 98 years old, spent the day visiting the World War II Memorial, as well as other nearby war memorials during their day in the nation’s capital.

“It’s just magnificent…it’s very emotional for anybody to see something like this that commemorates things you’ve done in the past,” said Jim Langford about the World War II Memorial.  Langford, a Springdale, Arkansas, resident who served in the infantry from 1943 to 1956 also said.  “Tyson and Walmart, they do a lot for our area…and then to sponsor us here is just great, just great.”

“I think it’s great,” said James Quin of Fayetteville, Arkansas, said of the trip.  Quin served in the Navy, Marines and Air Force over a 25 year period that began in 1943.  “I spent six months going to school in (Washington) D.C, the school of foreign service, but that was before this memorial was built and I never would have made it except for this group of people (Honor Flight).  I’m really thankful to them for this.”

A crowd of more than 200 people welcomed the veterans home Saturday night after they returned from Washington D.C. to the Northwest Arkansas Regional Airport.  The crowd included family members, representatives of the National Guard and American Legion, high school students and Tyson employees.  They waved flags, cheered and applauded the veterans as they moved through the airport terminal.

The Honor Flight Network is a non-profit organization that started four years ago in Ohio, with six small planes taking a dozen World War II veterans to see the memorial.   Today, there are more than 70 hubs in 34 states.  The recently-formed northwest Arkansas hub of Honor Flight Network is currently the only one in the state.

“This was an opportunity for us to recognize those who served our country so faithfully in the war,” said Bill McKenzie, director of Tyson Aviation, who coordinated the start of the northwest Arkansas hub.  “We appreciate the financial support of Tyson Foods and the Walmart Foundation, as well as many other individual contributors.  These funds allowed us to offer this flight at no cost to the veterans.” 

“It was a privilege to honor our veterans by being a sponsor of this inaugural flight,” said Ken Kimbro, senior vice president and chief human resources officer for Tyson Foods.  “Our company employs many veterans and is a long-time supporter of the U.S. military, providing differential pay for employees called to active guard or reserve duty and sending ‘care packages’ to employees or friends and family of employees who are stationed in Afghanistan and Iraq.” 

Tyson’s Springdale headquarters also recently started a Veterans Business Resource Group specifically for employees who are military veterans.  Some members of this group were helped with the northwest Arkansas Honor Flight.

Tyson and the Walmart Foundation each donated $25,000, which covered a majority of the $65,000 expense for the October 17 trip. 

Video of the trip, including interviews, can be viewed by clicking on the following link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pRswPezsL98.   Still photos from the event can be seen by going to: http://www.flickr.com/photos/tysonfoods/sets/72157622494978489/.

Organizers hope to plan addition Honor Flights from northwest Arkansas in 2010.  Anyone who wants to donate money to the northwest Arkansas Honor Flight program or has interest in volunteering, should call, e-mail or send a letter to Bill McKenzie.  His contact information is below:

Bill McKenzie, Tyson Aviation

10475 Tyson Place

Bentonville, AR 72712

479-290-5039

william.mckenzie@tyson.com

For more information on the Honor Flight Network, click on the following internet link:

http://www.honorflight.org/about/index.cfm

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Contact:  Gary Mickelson, Tyson Foods, 479-290-6111 or gary.mickelson@tyson.com