Issue link: http://maconmagazine.uberflip.com/i/1510185
48 maconmagazine.com | OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2023 hose heartbreaking words from Ron Cooley, one of 16 Vietnam veterans with whom I experienced Middle Georgia Honor Flight Mission 15, stopped me in my tracks. Today, nearly 50 years post-Vietnam War, it's hard to imagine such shameful treatment of American soldiers when they returned home from battle. They were kids fighting a controversial war in an unfamiliar land. They didn't necessarily understand or agree with the politics or the policies surrounding the Vietnam War, but they courageously fulfilled their patriotic duty. Yet when they returned, they weren't welcomed home as heroes. No parades, no fanfare, nothing. If anything, these veterans were o en met with scorn and distrust. The glory of war is the stuff of Hollywood, not real life, and there is o en an unrealistic expectation that upon returning home, veterans can snap back into civilian life. But war changes those who serve. Depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, and other psychological manifestations of war, including emotional scars, can last a lifetime. Over several decades America awoke to the fact that our Vietnam servicemen and women sacrificed their youth, their innocence, and for a monstrous 58,281 soldiers – 2.7% of that generation – their lives. The Honor Flight Network's origin When the World War II Memorial in Washington, D.C. opened in 2004, a physician's assistant in a small Ohio veteran affairs office, Ed Morse, was captivated. Many of his patients were WWII veterans; Morse saw firsthand how age, illness, and finances might prevent veterans from traveling to view the memorial. Morse wanted to change that. A retired Air Force Captain, private pilot, and Aero Club member, Morse personally flew one of his patients to D.C. to visit it. The trip was such a success that he duplicated the journey with other patients. The veterans' emotional reactions inspired Morse to partner with more Aero Club members for more trips. What began in 2005 as a singular experience for one World War II veteran became the national Honor Flight Network (HFN) that T MIDDLE GEORGIA HONOR FLIGHT MISSION 15: RIGHTING A 50-YEAR WRONG STORY AND PHOTOS BY JAMI GAUDET Serving 128,730 Veterans in 69 Counties 308 Zip Codes 247 Towns/Cities Coverage Area RIGHT Vietnam veteran and Perry, Georgia resident Randall Pettyjohn on an April 2019 MGHF Mission. Photo courtesy of MGHF. LEFT MGHF serves 129,730 veterans in 69 counties, 308 zip codes, and 247 towns/ cities. today includes veterans of World War II, the Korean War, Vietnam War, and terminally ill veterans of any age and war, who journey to Washington on commercial jets. Increasingly, as World War II and Korean War veterans pass away, flight manifests are filled predominantly with Vietnam War veterans. The HFN mission is "to celebrate America's veterans with a day of honor at our nation's memorials, experiencing the honor, gratitude, and community support they deserve." Now more than 275,000 veterans have traveled to Washington – for what many call one of the most meaningful experiences of their lives – through more than 135 programs in 45 states and Puerto Rico. Middle Georgia Honor Flight Locally, the Middle Georgia Honor Flight (MGHF) was co- founded in 2018 by Vietnam veterans Roger Jennings and Bob Long. The pair serve as president and vice-president of MGHF. Like the national organization, MGHF is a 501(c)(3) served entirely by volunteers. One of four Honor Flight hubs in Georgia, MGHF serves Today I was somebody