Honor Flight of the Appalachian Highlands

10/23/2026

🇺🇸❤️ 250 YEARS OF COURAGE. 250 YEARS OF SACRIFICE. ONE INCREDIBLE AMERICAN STORY. ❤️🇺🇸

Before there were 50 states, before generations of brave men and women answered the call to defend our freedoms, there was a dream.

A dream of liberty. A dream of independence. A dream that would become the United States of America.

And for nearly 250 years, that dream has been carried forward by generations of Americans, including the Veterans whose courage and sacrifices helped preserve it. ❤️

🇺🇸 VA250 MOBILE MUSEUM — “OUT OF MANY, ONE”

📅 October 27–31, 2026
⏰ 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM
📍 Cumberland Square Park Parking Lot
200 Lee Street, Bristol, VA
🎟️ FREE ADMISSION!

This traveling, interactive museum brings America’s history to life, sharing the people, events, and stories that helped shape our great nation.

Bring your children. Bring your grandchildren. Bring a Veteran.

Let the younger generations discover the history behind the freedoms we cherish today.

Because history isn’t simply something we read in books. It’s the story of those who came before us, the sacrifices they made, and the freedoms we must never take for granted.

🇺🇸 250 YEARS OF HISTORY. GENERATIONS OF HEROES. ONE NATION WORTH REMEMBERING. ❤️🤍💙

Learn more:
https://birthplaceofcountrymusic.org/event/out-of-many-one-mobile-museum-experience/

Join us Wednesday, October 28-Saturday, October 31 for the VA250 Mobile Museum Experience titled "Out of Many, One," hosted by the City of Bristol, Virginia, and the Birthplace of Country Music Museum - open to school groups and drop-in visitors!

10/22/2026

**🇺🇸🇺🇸💙❤️🇺🇸🇺🇸** UPDATE
We have been notified of the arrangements for Staff Sergeant Pardue.
The family will receive friends on November 1st from 2-5 at Jonesborough United Methodist Church and the Service will follow at 5pm.
**🇺🇸🇺🇸❤️💙🇺🇸🇺🇸**

🇺🇸 HONORING ONE OF OUR OWN | MISSION 19 🇺🇸

Some veterans leave footprints on our hearts that never fade. Staff Sergeant Tom Pardue, United States Marine Corps, was one of them. ❤️

A proud Vietnam veteran who served his country with honor, Tom joined us on Mission 19, sharing an unforgettable journey with his beloved granddaughter Hannah, his best friend Don Stott, and Don’s daughter Kelly.

Tom spoke with such joy about this special journey and the memories they were making together. And at our welcome home, he left us with words that now mean more than we could have ever imagined:

“Thank you for my trip of a lifetime with my best friend.”

Oh, Tom. If only you knew how deeply those words would touch our hearts today. 💔

We never imagined we would be saying goodbye so soon. But what a blessing to know that one of your final adventures was filled with love, friendship, and memories that will live on forever.

Once our veteran, forever our family. 🇺🇸❤️

Rest peacefully, Marine. Your mission here is complete, but your place in our hearts is forever.

Semper Fi, Tom. 🇺🇸

10/21/2026

🇺🇸❤️ VETERANS, YOUR VOICES MATTER. AND YOU DESERVE TO BE HEARD. ❤️🇺🇸

Our Veterans answered the call when our country needed them. Now it’s important that they have opportunities to ask questions, share concerns, and be heard about the care and services they have earned.

The Department of Veterans Affairs is hosting a Veteran Town Hall right here in Johnson City!

🇺🇸 VETERAN TOWN HALL

📅 Thursday, October 22, 2026
⏰ 5:00 PM – 6:00 PM
📍 Johnson City, Tennessee
🏛️ Hosted by the Veterans Health Administration

This in-person meeting will provide updates on VA initiatives and an opportunity for Veterans to ask questions and share feedback.

Whether you have questions about your VA care, want to learn more about available services, or simply want your voice heard, this is an opportunity to participate.

You served our nation with honor. Your questions matter. Your concerns matter. And YOU matter. ❤️🤍💙

📌 Please confirm the exact meeting location with the VA before attending.

🔗 Event information:
https://discover.va.gov/events/veteran-town-hall-5/

Event to share VHA initiatives and provide a 2-way forum for Veterans to ask questions.

10/21/2026

🇺🇸❤️ NO VETERAN SHOULD EVER TAKE THEIR FINAL JOURNEY ALONE. ❤️🇺🇸

They once stood ready to answer their nation’s call. They wore the uniform, served our country, and became part of something greater than themselves.

And today, some of those heroes will be laid to rest without family or loved ones present to say goodbye. But they do not have to be alone.

Our community has an opportunity to become their family for one final moment. To stand in silence, bow our heads, and offer the dignity, honor, and gratitude they deserve.

🇺🇸 UNACCOMPANIED VETERANS CEREMONY

📅 TODAY — Wednesday, October 21, 2026
⏰ 3:00 PM
📍 Mountain Home National Cemetery Annex
Committal Shelter
215 Heroes Drive, Johnson City, TN

If you are able, please come stand for those who once stood for us.

They may have no family beside them today, but they will not be forgotten. Not by us. Not ever. ❤️🤍💙

10/21/2026

🤠🇺🇸 WELL, BUTTER MY BISCUIT AND PASS THE CORNBREAD! 🇺🇸🤠

Y’all better loosen those belt buckles because the American Legion Riders Post 145 are fixin’ to serve up some GOOD OLE COUNTRY COOKIN’! 🫘🌽

And honey, for just $10, you’re getting beans, cornbread, TWO sides, dessert, AND a drink! Now that’s a deal that’ll make your grandma proud! 😂❤️

📅 Saturday, November 7, 2026

⏰ 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM

📍 515 Marion Avenue, Bristol, TN

💵 Just $10 a meal!

❤️ Good food. Great people. Even better cause!

Come hungry, bring a friend (or five!), and help support our American Legion Riders! These folks do so much for our veterans and community, so let’s show up and show them some love!

🇺🇸 Because good food fills your belly, but supporting those who serve fills your heart! ❤️

📣 SHARE, SHARE, SHARE! Let’s pack the house, y’all! 🤠🇺🇸

10/20/2026

Honor Flight of the Appalachian Highlands, would like to thank everyone that helped with the escorts on all of our 2026 missions. They all were awesome and our Hero's absolutely loved them! Thank you.

10/19/2026

🎀🇺🇸 OUR HEROES WEAR PINK, TOO! 🇺🇸🎀

Some battles are fought on the battlefield. Others are fought in hospital rooms, during treatments, and with a courage that deserves just as much recognition. 💗

Join the Mountain Home VA for the Veteran Breast Cancer Awareness Walk as we come together to raise awareness, support survivors, honor those we’ve lost, and stand beside those still fighting.

📅 Wednesday, October 21, 2026
⏰ 11:00 AM–1:00 PM
📍 Dogwood Avenue, James H. Quillen VA Medical Center campus, Mountain Home, TN
🎀 Free event — registration at the starting line!

Because honoring our Veterans means standing beside them through every battle. ❤️🤍💙

10/19/2026

🇺🇸❤️ Mission 20 — Our First Morning Apart ❤️🇺🇸

To our precious Mission 20 veterans and guardians…

This morning, we hope you woke up rested, with a peaceful heart and a smile from the memories we made together.

We hope somewhere along those miles, you found a little healing, a little peace, and perhaps some comfort for things you’ve carried far too long.

We may have started this journey as strangers, but we came home as family. And family doesn’t end when the bus pulls into the parking lot. ❤️

Please know that the honor was never yours to give us. It was ours to serve you.

Thank you for trusting us with your stories, your tears, your laughter, and a little piece of your hearts.

Mission 20 may be over, but you will forever have a place in ours. 🇺🇸❤️ God Bless You Always!

With all our love, Honor Flight of the Appalachian Highlands 🇺🇸

10/19/2026

🇺🇸 250 YEARS OF HISTORY. COUNTLESS STORIES WORTH REMEMBERING. 🇺🇸

History isn’t just found in textbooks. It’s found in the stories of the people who helped build, defend, and shape our nation.

The VA250 Mobile Museum, Out of Many, One, is visiting Bristol through October 31!

This free traveling exhibition offers families an opportunity to explore America’s history as we commemorate our nation’s 250th anniversary.

📅 October 17–31
⏰ 10 AM–5 PM daily
📍 Outside the Birthplace of Country Music Museum, Bristol

Bring the family, explore our history, and remember the generations who helped make our nation what it is today.

Our history is worth preserving. Our heroes are worth remembering. ❤️🤍💙

10/19/2026

🇺🇸❤️ Honor Flight Mission 20 — A Final Welcome Home ❤️🇺🇸

As we close out Honor Flight Mission 20 and give our veterans their final WELCOME HOME of the trip, our hearts are overflowing with love, gratitude, and patriotism. 🇺🇸🦅

Our veterans are presented with a certificate from Governor Bill Lee and a treasured group photo from Arlington National Cemetery. These keepsakes serve as lasting reminders of an unforgettable journey honoring their service and sacrifice. 🎖️📸

We also take this special moment to recognize and thank our amazing Guardians! ❤️

For those who may not know, an Honor Flight Guardian serves as their veteran’s protector, caregiver, advocate, and companion throughout the journey. Guardians help ensure our veterans are safe, comfortable, and cared for every step of the way. Some guardians are family members, while others volunteer their time and hearts to give back to those who have given so much for our freedom. 🇺🇸🤝

As we wrap up our 2026 Honor Flight Missions, all of us at Honor Flight of the Appalachian Highlands want to extend our deepest gratitude to everyone who helped make these missions possible. From our generous supporters and welcoming communities to our dedicated volunteers, each of you has played an important role in honoring our nation's heroes. 🙏❤️

A very special THANK YOU goes to our Board Members and Volunteer Staff who remain behind the scenes at home, working tirelessly to coordinate, organize, and ensure each mission is successful. Your dedication often happens behind the scenes, but its impact is felt in every veteran's experience. We could not do this without you! 👏💙

✨ As we close this chapter of 2026, we look forward to welcoming even more heroes home in our 2027 missions!

To every veteran: THANK YOU for your service, your sacrifice, and the freedoms we cherish today. You are never forgotten, and you will always be honored. 🇺🇸🎖️

🙏 God bless our veterans, God bless our volunteers, and God bless the United States of America! 🇺🇸🦅❤️🤍💙