April 30, 1975. This was the last day of the Vietnam War. After over a decade filled with conflict, torment, loss and grief, our soldiers got to come home. For the soldiers who thought that they would be coming home to an exuberant and thankful nation, they couldn’t have been more wrong.

Our Vietnam veterans who came home from serving boots on the ground were treated as if they no longer had any meaning or purpose in this world. There were no celebrations in the streets, no confetti flying in the city, and no warm embraces that they needed. Instead, they were spat on, insulted and shamed. People were calling them “baby killers.” This was happening during an era filled with civil unrest, protests, and counterculture movements that were all mainly focused on anti-war.

Veterans who served during many of the worlds’ conflicts now have the chance to find healing and get the welcome home that they righteously deserved over 50 years ago. The Honor Flight Network was created solely for that purpose. Honor Flights give veterans an opportunity to go on an all-expenses-paid trip to our nation’s capital. All a veteran has to do is apply to their local Honor Flight district, and if they are selected, they will be added to an Honor Flight mission.

Here in Sonoma County, we have the North Bay Honor Flight. Veterans all the way from Marin county up through Humboldt county are eligible for Honor Flights that leave from Sonoma County Charles Schulz Airport in Santa Rosa. I am fortunate enough to have a connection to the most recent Honor Flight that took place, North Bay Honor Flight: Mission Three. My grandfather, who served in the Coast Guard during Vietnam, was selected to be one of the 23 veterans who flew to Washington D.C. One of the unique parts of Honor Flights is that each veteran must have a guardian who accompanies them (basically like their own butler). My grandfather picked my dad to go with him.

Once in D.C., there was very little time to relax. It was nonstop bus rides and walks around the D.C. area to visit a bunch of memorials that are significant to veterans. None were more poignant than the Korean and Vietnam war memorials, for the majority of the veterans on the trip were veterans of those conflicts. For the veterans who served in Vietnam, the most powerful moment was seeing the names of fallen soldiers and friends engraved on the wall. The Vietnam War Memorial contains all the names of the U.S. soldiers who died in Vietnam.

For me, the welcome home celebration was the most memorable. The veterans and their guardians were surprised to be welcomed to a rousing ovation of cheers from all of the family members of the veterans who went on the trip. Those veterans finally got the long overdue welcome home that they deserved.