Southwest Airlines Honors WWII Veterans Airline Sends 23 Veterans to WWII Memorial on Veteran's Day

DALLAS, Nov. 11 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Today, Southwest Airlines (NYSE: LUV) saluted 23 World War II (WWII) Veterans with a patriotic sendoff to the nation's capital from Los Angeles International Airport. As the official airline of the Honor Flight Network, Southwest Airlines supports flights all across the country during the year, which allows Veterans to visit the WWII Memorial in Washington, D.C. At the event, Employees and Customers waved American flags while a Southwest Employee sang the National Anthem. As the Veterans boarded the flight, Customers cheered and saluted the men and women who gave so much to preserve our country's freedoms. The Veterans will arrive in Washington, D.C., this afternoon and then visit the WWII Memorial.

"Southwest Airlines is proud to support our men and women in uniform, and we give thanks every day for their sacrifices and the freedoms they have fought so hard to protect," said Debra Benton, Southwest's Director of Community Relations and Charitable Giving. "As the Official Airline of Honor Flight, providing flights to help Veterans of WWII is just one more way we show our gratitude to Veterans for their service, past and present."

To view the blog post and photos from the event, visit: www.blogsouthwest.com.

Honor Flight serves the nation's Veterans by taking them to Washington, D.C., to visit the WWII Memorial, free of charge. Partnering with Southwest Airlines has allowed Honor Flight to accomplish its goals because of the airline's multi-year commitment of complimentary tickets.

Southwest Airlines has a long history of supporting the men and women who fight for the nation's freedoms. The airline is proud to have more than 700 Employees who serve in the National Guard and Reserves. Southwest Airlines was recently named one of G.I. Jobs Top 100 Military Friendly Employers for 2010. Southwest Airlines also was recognized by the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR) for its commitment and support of the airline's National Guard and Reserve Employees. Based in Dallas, Southwest Airlines currently serves 68 cities in 35 states and currently operates more than 3,100 flights a day.

www.southwest.com