Permian Basin Veterans Honored in D.C.
SAN ANGELO, Texas (Concho Valley Homepage) —Nearly 100 West Texas veterans recently traveled to Washington, D.C., on a three-day journey to visit the memorials built in their honor — a trip filled with reflection, remembrance and healing, made possible by the nonprofit Permian Basin Honor Flight.
The organization, based in West Texas, provides all-expenses-paid trips to Washington for local veterans to see the Korean War Veterans Memorial, Vietnam Veterans Memorial, World War II Memorial, and other sites of national significance. Veterans visited a total of 14 memorials and museums over the course of the trip.
Wesley Smith, who took over as flight director in 2023, said the program's goal is simple: to give these heroes the recognition and gratitude they deserve while there's still time.
'The Honor Flight is for us to bring those war heroes to this memorial, to the Korean Memorial, to the Vietnam Memorial before it's too late — to honor them and serve them and show them the respect that they so deserve, and to show them the world is changing,' Smith said. 'It's not going to be the same world these Vietnam vets came home to. And to show the Korean War vets they're never going to be forgotten. The history books tell them it's the 'forgotten war,' but it's not…'
Smith has been involved with the Honor Flight team since 2015 and served as board president from 2018 to 2019.
'absolutely love getting to lead men and women heroes to care for them and honor them with the upmost respect that they deserve,' he said.
The trip is made possible entirely through community fundraising and sponsorships. Each veteran's flight, lodging, meals, and transportation cost about $2,000 — none of which is charged to the veteran.
'So we have to raise that money all year long or these vets don't get to come up here,' Smith said. 'The last thing we want to do is say, 'Hey, you've been selected for a beautiful trip, but you owe us money.' And we're not going to do that. So it takes a community — it takes all community efforts to bring this together and make this happen
The emotional impact of the trip was evident in conversations with veterans and their guardians.
'Going through this and being out here and how therapeutic it is — and getting to kinda rehash some of the things and let some of the emotions out that maybe you've held up a long time — is great,' said Danny Davis of Midland, who volunteered as a guardian for the trip.
'To the workers, I would say thank you. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. I'm so grateful I was chosen for this flight, and I've enjoyed it,' said Trinand, a Vietnam veteran on the trip. 'The personnel, the people — our friends. They are my friends. We're brothers because of the war, but now we're friends because we have met.'
For some, the visit to the memorials brought back powerful memories — and a sense of closure.
'I would suggest that they all come here and visit the memorials,' said Vietnam veteran William Tolbert. 'I'm thoroughly enjoying it, and I wouldn't want to come here in the summertime, but it's really impressive.'
'Oh man, this trip has been awesome — just honoring our vets that set the pace for us, you know, led the way,' said Army veteran Manuel Payan. 'It's an honor just to be around them. And it's great to just make new friends, especially with people like that that served.'
In addition to moments of solemn reflection, the trip also included time for connection and celebration — from dancing to storytelling — as veterans connected and made new memories together.
The Permian Basin Honor Flight continues its mission through year-round fundraising to ensure future generations of veterans receive the honor and healing they've earned.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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