BEDFORD, Va. – ”There was an unmet need and I think our hub has gone a long way towards meeting that need,” President and CEO of Southwest Virginia Honor Flight Martin Leamy said.
As a veteran himself, Leamy took the initiative to help others feel appreciated for their service.
“First is closure, second is healing, and third is receiving the gratitude and thank you from fellow citizens that they may not have received,” he said.
Leamy leads the Southwest Virginia Honor Flight. This was the fifth year that they have been able to take veterans to Washington D.C. to visit the War Memorials.
“Every trip is unique,” he said. “It’s a different mix of personalities each time.”
One of those personalities is Dan Rose, a Vietnam veteran.
“My daughter was my guardian and I tell everybody she conned me into this,” Rose joked.
Rose visited the Vietnam Memorial.
“I caught the first glimpse of the Vietnam memorial when they were starting that, but I had never seen the whole thing together,” Rose said.
He remembers coming back to a cold crowd back in 1965.
“We didn’t get a welcome back in ‘65, but those guys who were coming along in the late 60′s early 70′s they really had a rough time when they came home,” Rose said.
But today Rose was honored alongside ten other Vietnam veterans on the trip for their service.
“I had just a little bitty part of our great big operation,” Rose said.
The veterans were able to bond with each other over their shared military experiences.
“Doing some reminiscing, and where to’s and what for’s and what if’s and all those parts,” Rose said.
Rose said that the reminiscing brought up some painful memories. “But then again I’m glad I did it,” he said.
Another Honor Flight is set for April 2023.
