Sixty-two Central Texas military veterans who served in combat during the Vietnam War boarded a plane to fly to our nation’s capital to honor them for their service.
AUSTIN, Texas — It wasn’t a typical Friday along the main concourse at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, as bagpipers and drummers led a procession of Vietnam War veterans from Central Texas as they marched to their gate to board a jet that would take them to Washington D.C. for a two-day trip.
It marked the 100th journey to the nation’s capital sponsored by Honor Flight Austin. Their mission is to transport veterans to visit the memorials dedicated to honoring their service and sacrifices. But, according to Honor Flight Austin, it’s also more than a sightseeing trip.
Along the way, veterans are free to talk about their wartime experiences with other veterans, sometimes sharing painful memories that they had previously kept hidden.
“We’ve heard so many times from veterans who tell us that they’re finally able to talk and finally tell their families what happened to them in the service,” Steve Quakenbush, CEO of Honor Flight Austin, said. “They came home in 1968, 1953 or 1945 and they never told anybody anything. They’re now starting to tell their stories, and that’s so important to share and to heal by sharing.”
Honor Flight Austin is currently looking for any able and willing World War II and Korean War veterans anywhere in Texas, so they can be flown to Washington D.C., cost free.
They are also seeking Cold War and Vietnam War veterans who served before May 1975 and who live in Central Texas.
Honor Flight calls it “A Trip of a Lifetime” – a way to give back to the men and women who risked their lives in service to their country.