PHOTOS: 84 veterans fly to Washington, D.C. to tour the memorials they helped secure
– 7 min read
On September 29th, 84 veterans, 80 of them Vietnam veterans, boarded an honor flight from Louisville to Washington, D.C. Many came home from war to silence, or worse. This time, a choir greeted them at Reagan National, strangers waited at every memorial, and hundreds welcomed them home at the Louisville airport. These photos follow the day, from the 5 a.m. departure to the crowd that was waiting at the end.
What is a thank-you worth, fifty years late? Come along for the Honor Flight Bluegrass
Eighty-four veterans flew from Louisville to Washington, D.C. Eighty had served in Vietnam. On one long day, the country tried to say what it didn’t say then. This week my podcast episode is FREE for everyone! Listen below, and if you like what you hear, sign up
Shay McAlister
5 a.m. at Louisville International Airport
The Honor Flight is put on by dozens of volunteers- from the ground crew to the bus captains, medics, and the Ladies for Liberty. It's a beautiful group of people donating their time to help make the trip special for the 84 men and women who get to fly!
A special welcome in Washington
A middle school choir from nearby Virginia was singing as the veterans exited the jet bridge. The Honor Flight team told me it was the first time they'd seen anything like that! The veterans loved the song and gave high-fives. Other travelers couldn't keep a dry eye watching it unfold.
81 years later- a surprise
Larry Smitson, a retired Army staff sergeant, had never really known his father, Private First Class Leland Smitson, who was killed in World War II when Larry was less than a year old. The American flag from Leland’s casket had been in the family for 81 years. At the World War II Memorial, Larry’s grandson Mason wheeled him to the front. Mason handed him the folded flag. On the back, a black-and-white photograph caught Larry’s eye. His head dropped over the flag. He closed his eyes. Mason hugged him. Neither said anything.
The wall, the hair tie and the closure
At the Vietnam Memorial Wall, emotions ran high. This was the one spot so many of the veterans were anxiously anticipating. I walked with Donna Williams. At the Women’s Memorial, she asked for help standing from her wheelchair. She placed a hair tie on the monument, a tribute to the nurses who put their hair up and got to work. “ Today is one of the highlights of my life that I’ll remember forever. It’s just very overwhelming and very touching," she said, "I just love my country so much. I wish more people loved our country.”
A moment for reflection
At The Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial, the veterans found quiet moments of reflection. The cascading water features and president's famous quotes offered opportunities to take in the state of the country, and the veterans welcomed conversations on what they wish was different.
The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier
At Arlington National Cemetery, the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier stands as an iconic symbol for all of those who died in the war, whose remains have not been found or identified.
An attack on the Pentagon, an attack on all of us
This flight had a special stop before heading back to the airport. We went to the Pentagon to see the 9-11 Memorial. Some of the veterans on this flight had worked in the Pentagon, including Don Harshey. He told me he was brought in right after September 11th to work on an anti-terrorism mission. "They were still doing the crime scene investigation when I got here."
A stack of letter filled with thanks
Back at Reagan National, before the flight home, Honor Flight board member Kelli Oakley led the first surprise. In the weeks before the trip, staff had gathered thousands of letters from family, friends and strangers and sealed them into envelopes. “Everybody that served our country had mail call back in the day,” she said, “and it was a highlight because it kept that connection with family and friends back home.” The veterans had no idea. “They will cry. They will laugh. They will be surprised. They will hit every emotion.”
A long awaited welcome home
Back at the Louisville airport, the crowd was already building. Hundreds of people, in red, white and blue, waving flags and holding signs, shouting thank you. Families from earlier honor flights stood beside families from this one. As the veterans walked through the airport, one after another, their eyes filled with tears. The veterans. The guardians. Mine, too. It was so overdue, and so beautiful.
This week my podcast episode is FREE for everyone! Listen below, and if you like what you hear, subscribe to get access to all of my podcasts and in-depth work.
What is a thank-you worth, fifty years late?
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About the author- I’m Shay McAlister, founder of Shay Informed. I spent nearly a decade as an investigative reporter in Louisville television before starting this independent platform in August 2025. It's ad-free and funded by subscribers, which means there are no advertisers to please and no clickbait to chase. I have the time to dig into the stories our community deserves: the accountability investigations and the ones like this, which simply deserve to be told well. Your subscription is what makes that possible. Thank you. If you value this work, sign up here!
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Shay McAlister is an award-winning journalist and founder of Shay Informed. After a decade as a reporter and anchor, she launched her ad-free, subscription-based outlet in 2025 to focus on accountability journalism and victim-centric reporting.
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