WASHINGTON (KOSA) – Day two of the honor flight in the Permian Basin was an emotional day with visits to several memorial sites.
It is the first time many West Texas veterans have seen tributes to their comrades who never made it home.
“To know what they gave up … and I didn’t have to give up,” said Vietnam veteran Jimmy Barton. “I just had to get home safely.”
The morning began on Section 60 of Arlington National Cemetery with a reef ceremony for Gold Star families.
People looked for those they knew and mourned those they found. The huge number of tombstones is lined up in perfect symmetry.
“I was just expecting to see a tombstone here, a tombstone there,” said Barton. “When we left [Section 60] A while ago I couldn’t have imagined what it looked like. “
The next stop was the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. Clinical social worker Jan Lentz, who works with veterans, believes the 58,000+ names on this wall can help create a degree.
“We can go on with our story,” said Lentz. “We are not frozen back in time in Vietnam. We can continue.”
A visit to the National Museum of the United States Army was a new stop for everyone, a living mausoleum for the history of America’s oldest military branch.
Finally, a visit to the Marine Corps War Memorial.
“They are respected, honored and are national heroes for us,” said Lentz.
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