From the Office of U.S. Sen. Ben Ray Luján:

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) issued the following statement on the resumption of the Honor Flight Program for veterans to visit Washington, D.C.:

“I’m glad the National Park Service heeded our call to resume police escort services for Honor Flight visits,” Luján said. “These trips give our veterans a chance to tell their stories, honor their service, and mourn lost friends.

“Our veterans have made tremendous sacrifices to protect our freedoms and without escorts from the U.S. Park Police may not be able to fully experience the memorials that are dedicated to their service.”

Background:

The National Park Service (NPS) and the Honor Flight Network announced Tuesday the resumption of NPS and U.S. Park Police (USPP) support of Honor Flight visits to begin again June 1 following a suspension of trips in the Spring of 2020.

Upon learning that the Honor Flight Program was suspended, Sen. Luján and Rep. Gus Bilirakis (R-Fla.) pressed the National Park Service to resume the program. Since 2005, the organizations have partnered to provide memorable experiences for the nation’s veterans who visit the World War II, Korean War Veterans, and Vietnam Veterans memorials on the National Mall.