Honor Flight No. 63 Army veterans gather at the National Museum of the United States Army Saturday, Sept. 12. The two-day Honor Flight DFW trip brought 45 veterans from multiple branches of the military to Washington, D.C., to visit memorials and other sites honoring their service. Courtesy photo 

WASHINGTON — A group of 45 military veterans traveled to the nation’s capital to receive long-awaited thanks for the service they performed for their country.

They were part of the 63rd Dallas/Fort Worth Honor Flight, a trip intended to honor Americans who served in the military — including those who returned home to a welcome that was far less than they deserved.

I was one of those veterans.

We departed Dallas Love Field the morning of Sept. 11 and returned the following evening. Along the way, veterans and their guardians received spontaneous applause at Love Field and Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. Fire trucks marked our departure and arrival with streams of water forming arches over our aircraft.

I sought out veterans who live in North Texas, where I have lived since 2018. I found two men, one from Princeton and the other from Farmersville. 

Jack Garner of Princeton, now in his 80s, served in the Air Force and was stationed in the Philippines from 1962 to 1964. Garner said he “took part in the buildup of men and supplies that would be used in Vietnam.”

“Everyone has stories to tell,” Garner said. “Everyone here has each other’s back.”

The applause the veterans received throughout the trip, he added, “means a lot.”

Garner is married and has four children in his blended family.

Most of the veterans on our flight served in Vietnam or during the Vietnam era. Two served during the Korean War. World War II -era vets once numbered more than 16 million; their numbers are down to fewer than 100,000 still living veterans.

Honor Flights are funded primarily through donations, although companies with strong military ties have also helped finance trips. One guardian on our flight said Lockheed Martin has covered expenses for participants on previous Honor Flights.

Another area veteran, Nick Patrizio of Farmersville, served in the Navy from 1970 to 1974. His service took him far from Southeast Asia aboard a submarine in the North Atlantic.

He described the Honor Flight as a “very emotional experience” and said he was particularly moved by the World War II Memorial.

“I suppose you could say that our submarine fleet was a deterrent force,” Patrizio said.

Patrizio and his wife previously lived in Allen for 30 years before moving to Farmersville, where they’ve lived for five years. They have four daughters, and their youngest, Taylor, accompanied her father on the trip as his guardian.

Guardians play an important role on Honor Flights, tending to veterans’ needs throughout the trip. They carry luggage, arrange wheelchair assistance when needed and, perhaps most importantly, are simply there as companions.

Our whirlwind visit to Washington included the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and changing of the guard at Arlington National Cemetery, along with a visit to the grave of Audie Murphy. We also visited the National Museum of the United States Army, the National Museum of the United States Navy and the U.S. Marine Corps War Memorial, commonly known as the Iwo Jima Memorial.

We drove past the Lincoln, Jefferson and Martin Luther King Jr. memorials and saw the South Lawn of the White House.

The timing of the trip also coincided with observances marking the 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. The four living former presidents attended commemorative events at Ground Zero in New York City, while President Donald Trump took part in an observance at the Pentagon.

But Honor Flight organizers saved perhaps the most meaningful moment for last.

After our plane landed at Love Field Saturday evening, we gathered at the gate and waited until everyone was together. Then we began walking toward the terminal exit where we were greeted by bagpipers, cheers and shouts of “Welcome home!” from around 1,000 people as we walked through the terminal. 

My family was among the crowd waiting for me.

The emotion of that moment was difficult to contain. After two packed days of memorials, stories and shared experiences with other veterans, that homecoming blew me away.

Wendell Lick of Coppell, who served as a crew chief on a Huey helicopter, put the entire experience in perspective.

“Everyone has a story that needs to be told,” Lick said, “and we need to hear them.”

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