Brookshire Grocery Co. relaunches Heroes Flights program

Published 5:45 am Tuesday, June 11, 2024

Ann Brookshire walks with Russell VanMatre as the walk into the airport during a welcome home celebration for the Brookshire's Heroes Flight at Tyler Pounds Regional Airport in Tyler, Texas, on Wednesday, May 31, 2017. The veterans left for Washington, D.C., Monday morning to visit memorials and the Capitol, and returned home Wednesday evening. Chelsea Purgahn/Tyler Morning Telegraph)

The Heroes Flight program is returning to help local veterans take a special trip to Washington D.C.

Brookshire Grocery Company is accepting applications from military veterans to fill 25 spots on its Oct. 21-23 trip to Washington D.C. as part of the 20th Brookshire’s and Super 1 Foods Heroes Flight program.



“We focus on taking veterans to Washington D.C. so they can see the memorials that were built in their honor,” said Morgan Jones, Director of Community Involvement and Communications for the Brookshire Grocery Company. “It’s just an incredible way for us to give back to the veterans.”

The program started in 2010 in the hopes to take as many World War II veterans as possible to Washington D.C. The program ran consistently between 2010 and 2019, when it was put on pause because of the COVID-19 pandemic that began in 2020.

“We are so thankful and glad that we get to bring the program back this year,” Jones said. “It takes months of planning … but this just shows how important it is to Brookshire Grocery Company and our leadership team. They’ve always loved and prioritized our Heroes Flight program because it is unique.”

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They plan on stopping in Arkansas to pick up additional veterans on the way to Washington D.C.

“It takes several moving parts to come together to make sure we can have this trip,” Jones said. “We want it to be well-established and safe for our veterans to have the complete experience.”

The all-expense-paid three-day trip will include meals and lodging for the veterans and their guardians. The trip is sponsored by Brookshire Grocery Company, and American Airlines continues their support by donating a chartered flight.

“Some of these veterans, there’s decades in between that time, but we know how important that service is to us,” Jones said. ”Honestly, it’s the most honored and rewarding part of my job … to see the connection and the true relationships and friendships that were built in those three short days is just incredible.”

In addition to visiting the WWII Memorial, the group will tour the U.S. Capitol with U.S. Rep. Nathaniel Moran. Other points of interest will include Arlington National Cemetery, the Air and Space Museum and memorials honoring the U.S. Marines, Navy, Air Force, Abraham Lincoln, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Martin Luther King Jr., and Vietnam and Korean War veterans.

“We are deeply honored as a company to take our military veterans to Washington, D.C., to visit the memorials built in their honor,” said Brad Brookshire, Chairman and CEO for Brookshire Grocery Co. “This journey is our way of expressing profound gratitude and respect for their sacrifices.”

BGC employee-partners, including several who have also served in the military, will be on the trip to assist the veterans.

“One of our community pillars is to give back to the brave men and women who have given so much to our country, and this opportunity allows us to show our appreciation in a meaningful way,” Brookshire added. “We are especially excited that we will have veterans representing multiple conflicts sharing this experience together.”

In addition to veterans from World War II and the Korean War, this flight will include veterans who served during the Vietnam War, Gulf War, War in Afghanistan and War in Iraq.

“We want to get as many veterans from World War II as we can; unfortunately, we don’t have a lot of them left,” Jones said. “So, we want to make sure that we’re still … honoring all the men and women who have served in other conflicts.”

As of this trip, BGC has taken more than 500 veterans from Texas, Louisiana and Arkansas to Washington, D.C., since establishing the Heroes Flight program in 2010. Veterans on this trip will be primarily from the Tyler and Hot Springs, Arkansas areas.

“Brad and Ann Brookshire definitely have a heart for our communities and for veterans,” Jones said. “For them, it was about acknowledging and recognizing the significance of what their service means to our communities and to our country.”

United States military veterans who served during World War II, Korean War, Vietnam War, Gulf War, War in Afghanistan and War in Iraq are invited to apply for the program at www.brookshires.com/sm/pickup/rsid/1928/heroes-flight.

Brookshire’s Grocery Company will be accepting applications for the Oct. 21-23 trip through June 28th.

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To apply for the Oct. 21-23 trip, visit https://www.brookshires.com/sm/pickup/rsid/1928/heroes-flight.

The deadline is June 28.