![\"\"](\"https:\/\/goodnewsmags.com\/franklin-county\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2025\/02\/2-4-1024x683.png\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nA day of reflecting and connecting<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n For Solomon, one of the most touching moments came at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. Her assigned veteran, a man who had carried his memories quietly for decades, stood silently before the wall. As he searched for the names of his high school best friend and a fellow Seabee who had died in the line of duty, the weight of those losses fell heavily on him, and Solomon felt it as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHe was overcome with emotion,\u201d Ann recalled. \u201cIt was hard for him, but then we stopped at a statue nearby, and that brief pause seemed to redirect his thoughts. He took a breath, gathered himself, and we moved forward to find the names.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Later, during the “mail call” \u2014 similar to the letters soldiers received during their service \u2014 her veteran sat with a pile of letters he hadn\u2019t expected. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHe told me his family wasn\u2019t good at writing letters, so he didn\u2019t think there would be anything for him,\u201d Solomon said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The bundle of letters included notes from local veterans\u2019 organizations and children and, most surprisingly, heartfelt letters from his wife and sister. Ann said she would never forget the look of astonishment and gratitude on his face.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Moments that matter<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n The day carried many moving experiences: the changing of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, the solemn comradeship among veterans, and the touching tributes from strangers who came up simply to say, \u201cThank you for your service.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n Each interaction brought the veterans closer to the recognition many of them had been denied for so long.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Healing takes flight<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n From the early morning send-off, escorted by the Patriot Guard Riders, to the fire truck salute on the runway in Washington, D.C., every detail of the Honor Flight experience is designed to honor these heroes. Veterans are celebrated with breakfast, greeted by cheering crowds at the airport, and serenaded by a military band playing their branch\u2019s song.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For many, this trip is their first time openly reflecting on their service. Solomon noticed how her veteran, initially reserved, began sharing more and more as the day went on. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIt was very touching \u2014 at first, the conversation was very surface level, learning about his family \u2014 and once we visited the wall, the stories began. He started sharing more and more details about the people he visited.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Honor Flight Middle Tennessee, part of the national Honor Flight Network founded in 2005, has taken thousands of veterans on unforgettable journeys. The organization prioritizes terminally ill veterans, those from earlier wars, and Korean and Vietnam veterans with disabilities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Coming full circle<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n The day ends where it began: with gratitude. As the veterans returned home, large crowds greeted them with waving flags, clapping, and cheering. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhen the Vietnam veterans came back from their service, they were not given grand welcomes \u2014 they were met by protests and people who were not happy with what they had done. The love and support that the Veterans were given throughout this trip was phenomenal.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n Many veterans, including Solomon\u2019s, fought back tears as the crowd met them with an overwhelming outpouring of love after they landed. These men had given everything \u2014 their hearts, souls, and sacrifices \u2014 for the country they loved to help future generations live freely. At that moment, it felt like the gratitude they had waited a lifetime to receive had finally come full circle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIt has a huge impact on the veterans,\u201d Solomon said. \u201cA lot of these veterans would not go if it weren\u2019t for this program. The Vietnam era veterans get to see that they truly are appreciated for their service. It also gives them time to reflect on their service and see the names of their fellow soldiers on the wall, and it brings back both the good times they shared and the loss of their fellow man.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Solomon encourages anyone considering volunteering for Honor Flight to take the leap. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cLead by example \u2014 if you see a veteran or know one \u2014 give them a simple \u2018thank you\u2019 for their service. Most of them proudly wear hats that show what branch and war they served,\u201d she said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Solomon said once you volunteer, you\u2019ll find yourself wondering why you didn\u2019t do it sooner. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Gratitude in motion<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Solomon looked back on her Honor Flight experience and the lessons her father and grandfather had taught her \u2014 that service, in any form, honors those who came before us and leaves a mark on those who come after us. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Through Honor Flight, Solomon not only honored her family\u2019s sacrifice but also helped ensure that every veteran, especially those who came home to protests instead of parades, felt the gratitude they deserved.<\/p>\n\n\n\n She said, \u201cIt is never too late to show gratitude and love. They were shown an enormous amount of love and gratitude that day. It will be a day that they will always remember and hopefully wipe away all the adversity they faced.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The Vietnam veterans returned to a home they hardly recognized \u2014 a country overshadowed by protests, riots, and resentment. For many of them, the reception was almost as cold as the battles they had fought abroad. Ann Solomon grew up hearing stories of service and sacrifice from her father, a World War II veteran, and […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":11,"featured_media":23729,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"off","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-23727","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-feature"],"yoast_head":"\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/goodnewsmags.com\/franklin-county\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2025\/02\/4-4-1024x683.png\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/goodnewsmags.com\/franklin-county\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2025\/02\/3-4-1024x683.png\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n