American Air Flies 68 WWII Vets to France

The Boeing 787 charter flight is in honor of the 80th anniversary of D-Day.

Monday, June 03, 2024 at 01:51 PM ET

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World War II veterans embark on a charter flight from Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (KDFW). [Credit: AirlineGeeks | Ryan Ewing]

Key Takeaways:

68 World War II veterans, accompanied by cadets and Medal of Honor recipients, embarked on a trip to France for the 80th anniversary of D-Day.
American Airlines donated a specially-chartered Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner for the journey from Dallas/Fort Worth.
The trip, sponsored by the Gary Sinise Foundation, will involve visits to memorial sites in Normandy, starting in Paris.

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A group of 68 World War II veterans embarked on a whirlwind trip to France in recognition of the 80th anniversary of D-Day. Leaving Dallas/Fort Worth on Friday, American donated a specially-chartered Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner for the trip across the pond.

Of the veterans onboard, the oldest was 107 years old with the youngest being 96. They were also joined by six Medal of Honor recipients along with over 50 cadets and midshipmen from various service branches who accompanied the veterans.

Ryan Ewing

Ryan is Group President of Firecrown Media’s Aviation Group, overseeing a portfolio that includes FLYING, AirlineGeeks, AVweb, Plane + Pilot, KITPLANES, and AircraftForSale.com. He founded AirlineGeeks.com in February 2013 and has more than a decade of experience across aviation media, airport operations, airline workforce planning, and Part 135 regulatory compliance. His experience ranges from time behind the yoke of a Cessna 172 to interviewing aviation industry executives. Ryan holds a B.S. in Air Transportation Management and an MBA from Arizona State University and is an adjunct instructor at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University.