How Delta is celebrating Veterans Day 2024 and supporting military members all year round

Learn more about how Delta celebrates and supports veterans all year round.

Staff Writer

Nov 11, 2024 12:45pm

Delta is proud to be a long-standing supporter of U.S. military members, veterans and their families. Whether on our planes, within our workforce or in the communities where we live, work and serve, Delta people are honored for the opportunity to serve those who protect us – especially on Veterans Day.

“Delta’s annual Veterans Day celebration is always extraordinary and serves as a special opportunity for the Delta family to come together to thank and celebrate those who have given so much for our freedom,” said Theresa Livingston, Lt. Col. (retired), Delta First Officer and President of Delta’s Veterans Business Resource Group (BRG). “But what I’m most proud of is how Delta does not let our support for this community start or end there. We are working to do good things for veterans, military members and their families 365 days a year, as we have been for decades.”

Learn more below about Delta’s Veterans Day celebrations and how we support military members all year round.

Veterans Day 2024 Celebrations

Delta's TechOps team and Veterans BRG hosted Delta’s 13th annual Veterans Day Celebration, a two-day event where employees, friends and family come together to honor the many veterans within the Delta family – over 11% of our workforce.

Throughout the event, guests experienced more than 40 vintage and active-duty military aircraft, viewed shadow boxes commemorating the service of Delta veterans and their family members, and listened to inspiring guest speakers such as Command Sergeant Major Gary Littrell, a Medal of Honor recipient; several veterans from World War II and Vietnam; and John Laughter, E.V.P. and Chief of Operations and President, Delta TechOps.

“This year’s event specifically highlighted the experiences of Vietnam Veterans, whose struggles upon returning from war helped raise awareness of the broader challenges faced by many veterans, leading to their recognition as a protected class,” said Keyra Lynn Johnson, V.P. and Chief Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Social Impact Officer. “As the proud wife of a Veteran, I’m honored to include Veterans as part of our diversity, equity and inclusion strategy – showing them support year-round as we recognize the value of diversity and seek to build a workforce where everyone feels a sense of belonging.”

Featured aircraft this year included a C-47, P51, AT-11, Stearman, T-6, E-2, MIG 15, P40, T-6, T-48, L-19, T-28, L-5, T-6 and many more.

Customers can honor and celebrate veterans with Delta by enjoying a special collection of titles on Delta’s seatback screens – curated by Delta’s Veterans BRG and Veterans in Media & Entertainment, a nonprofit that connects military members to entertainment industry jobs and opportunities. SkyMiles Members can also donate their SkyMiles Program miles to Fisher House Foundation's Hero Miles program and Luke's Wings through SkyWish, the charitable arm of the SkyMiles Program.

Additionally, Delta – alongside our sports partner teams – will celebrate Veterans Day in two of Delta’s hub markets. In Los Angeles, Delta participated in the Lakers’ annual Veterans Day game on Nov. 10 by hosting the first Salute to Our Troops experience for the season – bringing a veteran and a guest behind the scenes ahead of a home game. In Salt Lake City, Delta will host a local military member at the Jazz’s Veteran’s Day home game, providing a special experience for them and their family to enjoy the game.

Supporting WWII Veterans

Delta’s long-standing commitment to veterans runs deep, dating back to post-World War II when many pilots and mechanics helped drive the airline’s growth – but the airline’s love for the ‘Greatest Generation’ continues today.

Just this year, in partnership with the Best Defense Foundation, Delta flew 48 World War II veterans back to Normandy to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the D-Day invasion. The chartered aircraft was co-piloted by Livingston, Veterans BRG President – whose smooth landing marked only the third time a U.S. passenger airline flew directly to Normandy, with the other two being the Delta Charter flights to Normandy in 2022 and 2023.

“These initiatives are a true testament to the power of corporate partnerships, which enable our people around the globe to do more than we could do on our own,” said Bob Somers, SVP of Global Sales. “We are proud to partner with organizations who share our values of servant leadership and help us in our mission of ‘No One Better Connects the World.’”

After connecting over 12 days of parades, school visits, commemorations and ceremonies, Delta had a desire to continue serving and supporting these veterans throughout the year – and did so by creating a community volunteer program that paired Delta employees with WWII veterans. The results?

After losing power during Hurricane Helene, WWII Veteran George Sarros flew from Greenville to Atlanta to stay with Delta Pilot Jay Updyke, who co-piloted the flight to Normandy with Livingston. Thanks to the special care he received from Delta, the Best Defense Foundation and Michelin – as well as a generous customer who gave up his First Class seat next to his wife for the 99-year-old – George had a great trip and an excellent stay until it was safe to return home.

GrandPad, a Minnesota-based company dedicated to serving seniors, teamed up with Delta and the Best Defense Foundation to provide their senior-friendly tablet to the WWII veterans who participated in the 2024 Return to Normandy program. The tablet features a simple, intuitive layout with large, easy-to-read icons. With just a few taps, the veterans can safely stay connected with family, their friends at Delta and each other. Delta’s community volunteers are actively hand-delivering the tablets to each veteran.

Delta also recently partnered with the Best Defense Foundation to fly a group of six veterans from the U.S. to the Netherlands to honor the sacrifices made by their comrades and to reflect on the impact of their efforts on liberating Europe.

Hiring and Retaining Veteran Talent

As part of our broader diversity, equity and inclusion strategy, Delta prioritizes partnerships with organizations that help build a diverse pipeline of top talent – including veterans, who represent a talent pool that offers a wide range of valuable experience from leadership capabilities, technical skills, strategic problem-solving and more.

To build a robust military talent pipeline that also supports veterans’ transition to civilian careers, Delta has:

Onboarded several new partners to help facilitate hiring veterans across the enterprise, including Military MOJO, Service Academy Career Conference, Value of a Veteran and MBA Veterans Network.

Built a robust military talent pipeline through partnerships with organizations such as FourBlock, military.com and the PaYS Program to help veterans transition to civilian careers.

To retain a workforce made up of more than 11,000 veterans, Delta knows the importance of creating a sense of belonging and inclusion for all – as well as living out our values in the communities in which we live, work and serve. That’s why Delta further supports veterans by:

Providing professional development and networking opportunities to employees, families, and spouses who served and are currently serving in our Armed Forces – in addition to promoting a diverse and inclusive workplace – through Delta’s Veterans BRG.

Serving as a principal funder of four Fisher House Foundation facilities, where families of military personnel can stay at no cost while their loved ones receive treatment at a military or VA medical facility.

Supporting 10 USO chapters through sponsorship and volunteer work, including assembling care packages, serving hot meals, and spending time with service members.

Supporting Folds of Honor in 16 markets across the U.S. through funding for educational scholarships for children and spouses of fallen and disabled service members.

Standing by at hubs across the country with the Delta Honor Guard to make sure those who have made the ultimate sacrifice in service to their country make it to their final resting place with care and honor.

Honoring the legacy of the living Medal of Honor recipients as a national sponsor of the Congressional Medal of Honor Foundation and the Congressional Medal of Honor Society – and supporting the next generation of heroes through CMOH’s Character Development Program.

Supporting the Marine Toys for Tots campaign for almost 20 years, supporting the literacy program and providing bicycles and toys to children in need in December and contributing annually to the organization.

Purpose

How Delta recognizes U.S. service members during travel and beyond

Delta’s work to support active military members, veterans and their families dates back decades and includes travel benefits, key partnerships, community support and more.