Growing up in a family full of veterans, I have seen firsthand the effects being a veteran has on them.
Disheartening and joyful stories have been shared, and I heard various viewpoints of how receiving recognition for their service benefits them.
A simple ‘thank you’ is a great gesture but is more like giving someone a Band-Aid to fix a huge wound.
My grandfather is a Navy veteran. He joined in 1962 with the thought in the back of his mind that he will be drafted regardless, so he wanted to make the choice himself.
During this time, men were being drafted for the Vietnam War. Some chose to not sit around and wait with the possibility of being chosen for the Army, which would cause them to be sent off to combat. Once you were drafted, there was no choice.
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development estimated that 32,882 homeless people were veterans in 2024.
I have seen within my family how the Veteran Affairs organization can overlook the pain and suffering our veterans endure.
For example, only granting selective amounts of resources for covered therapy and medical services. The people not granted these things only fall further behind within their health.
The nonprofit organization Honor Flight Network, founded in 2005, flies veterans of all backgrounds to Washington to tour different memorial spaces for free without government funding.
My grandfather was nominated for the Honor Flight and is next on the waiting list to attend the flight in April 2026.
The flights bring veterans to D.C and takes them to different memorial sites.
Non-profit networks and organizations that cater to veterans’ needs are underappreciated and overlooked at times.
There are three separate flights for the Kentucky hub, near where my grandfather lives, and he was told to wait by the phone for the official answer.
He said he is most excited to gain more knowledge of the memorial sites they will visit on the Honor Flight. He said he believes organizations like the Honor Flight network are valuable to veterans.
“I think it’s great, and I think it’s very important,” he said. “It shows the younger generations that the veterans have been appreciated.”
With the Honor Flight being a tour of different memorial sites, this has the potential to show each veteran the impact their dedication and sacrifice has on the U.S.
Being shown appreciation can help each veteran look at their experience with the military in a more positive light.
My father, who is also a Navy veteran, will accompany my grandfather because each veteran selected is granted a guardian to attend with them.
He joined the Navy at the age of 18 with the intention of leaving his hometown in Kentucky and getting the privilege of exploring the world while serving our country.
He felt like his hard work was acknowledged when his ship allowed family to visit and experience the same thing the sailors did. He feels honored that there is a possibility for him to attend the flight tour with his father and appreciates the goal behind the organization.
Companies with the means to do so should do more by donating and supporting veteran focused nonprofit networks.
If people and businesses that have the means could make donations to groups like the Honor Flight network or even create their own, the number of veterans taken care of would skyrocket.
