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Originally Published in CBS7 on October 7, 2025.

Veterans from across West Texas will gather in Odessa for a send-off party at Fun Dome ahead of the annual Permian Basin Honor Flight this weekend.

The Honor Flight is a once-in-a-lifetime journey for West Texas veterans, giving them the chance to visit Washington, D.C. memorials built in their honor. However, with parts of the capital still closed due to the shutdown, organizers had to quickly rework plans to ensure the mission continues.

The Honor Flight takes a full year to plan, so hearing that museums might close just days before takeoff was devastating for organizers.

“It hurt my heart when I first heard about it because like I said, we have vets that have been on this waitlist for two years and for them to go see their museum… the Army, or the Marine Corps museum and they may not get to see it this trip? That’s heartbreaking," said Wesley Smith, the Permian Basin Honor Flight Director.

Congressman August Pfluger, who represents West Texas in Washington, says these veterans deserve to see the monuments and the country they fought for.

“I hope the honor flight participants can come to DC and see the monuments, but also see us working together for the betterment of our government, for the betterment of our country, and because we love our country” said Congressman August Pfluger (R–TX 11).

Pfluger was scheduled to meet the veterans in D.C., but due to the shutdown, that visit is now uncertain.

Despite the challenges, Wesley Smith says West Texas will persevere. The group still plans to visit all the major memorials seen in past trips, and some new ones, including the newly renovated FDR and World War I memorials.

“They were shutting down yesterday for the duration of the government shutdown, but the Smithsonian came to and said, ‘No, let’s stay open another week and see what happens.’ So, we do have a Smithsonian stop at the Udvar-Hazy Space Museum in Chantilly, Virginia, but we also have a backup plan for maybe the Holocaust Museum, the Museum of the Bible, and also the American History Museum of the Smithsonian,” said Smith.

Thanks to the National Honor Flight Network, local chapters like Permian Basin’s are constantly updated on conditions in Washington, allowing them to adapt quickly.

If you’d like to support our West Texas veterans, you can attend the Honor Flight Send-Off tomorrow (10/8/25) at Fun Dome in Odessa.

“For West Texas, we’re going to learn how to do this. We’re tough, we’re strong, we’re stern and revered, and we’re just going to be us. We’re going to have a great time, and we’re going to love on these vets and give them a trip they never dreamed they’d be able to take. And when we get home, we’re going to give them a welcome home that they never got,” said Smith.

Doors open at 4:30 p.m. for veterans, guardians, and the public, with the banquet beginning at 6:00 p.m.More than 500 people are expected to attend, featuring dinner, live and silent auctions, and Jay Hendricks serving as emcee.

The veterans will take off Thursday (10/9/25) morning for Washington, D.C., and return home Saturday (10/11/25) evening.

Our First Alert 7 News team will have exclusive coverage from the nation’s capital throughout the entire trip.