Local Veteran Chosen for Honor Flight

A Breathitt County veteran had been chosen to participate in the next Honor Flight and travel to Washington, D. C. for a whirlwind tour.

Lt. Colonel Philip E. Gabbard was selected and is the third local veteran known to have participated in the program.

Gabbard will depart Lexington early on Saturday, October 3, and will be accompanied to the nation’s capital by his son, John Michael Gabbard.  He will be one of 150 selected for the October tour, which will include the national memorials honoring the veterans of World War II, the Vietnam War, and the Korean War, as well as several other Washington landmarks.  After a full day, the veterans will return to Lexington on Saturday evening. 

He found out several weeks ago that he had been selected to make the trip, not his first to Washington, D.C.

Gabbard said he was thrilled to participate and looked forward to the trip and, more importantly, to a special time with his son.

After two years in the United States Army and time in Vietnam, Gabbard spent 28 years in the Kentucky National Guard, where he rose to the rank of Lt. Colonel.  He also served as a teacher in the Breathitt County School System, retiring with 32 years of service.  He also served five years as principal.

In retirement, Gabbard volunteers with the DAV Honor Guard and provides military rites for veterans' funerals.

The Honor Flight program was created in 2005 by Air Force Captain Earl Morese and Jeff Miller after learning that many World War II veterans had never visited the memorial in Washington, D.C.

In 2023, Specialist 4 Charles Thomas, a Vietnam War veteran and Purple Heart honoree, was selected to fly to Washington as part of what he called the “all-expense-paid trip of a lifetime.”

Well-known local veteran, Alvin Gross, a former guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, became the second in August 2025 when he flew to Washington for his visit.

Toyota Manufacturing will sponsor Gabbard and the other veterans’ Honor Flight to Washington.