Local veteran participates in Honor Flight

Mary Beth Sallee

Managing Editor

Hart Co. news-Herald

 

On August 24, Kentucky’s Touchstone Energy Cooperatives sponsored a one-day Honor Flight that transported 68 Kentucky veterans to Washington D.C.

Among those veterans who participated was Hart Countian Roger Waggoner.

Waggoner, a Vietnam Veteran, made the Honor Flight alongside his grandson, Asa Waggoner. The flight, which departed Blue Grass Airport in Lexington around 6:30 a.m., arrived at Reagan National Airport in D.C. around 8 a.m. The veterans and their guests spent the entire day visiting various war memorials, the 9/11 Pentagon Memorial, the Lincoln Memorial, and viewing the changing-of-the-guard ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Solider in Arlington National Cemetery.

For Waggoner, the Honor Flight provided not only a great opportunity to tour memorials at the nation’s capitol, but also an opportunity for closure.

“When I was at the Korean War Memorial, it sort of brought back memories,” Waggoner said. “They had these statues of these soldiers, I guess about 20 of them, with the weapons and stuff, walking like they were on patrol and stuff like that. It brought back a lot of memories, and I think it was sort of a healing experience for me in a way, too.”

“I know when we got back from Vietnam…the mood of the nation was sort of different,” Waggoner continued. “Vietnam Veterans were looked down upon like we were criminals. Like we’d, you know, done something wrong or something. But Saturday (August 24), it was totally opposite. People were thanking us for our service and all the positive things that happened, so that was a good closure for me.”

Upon returning back to Blue Grass Airport later that evening, Waggoner and his fellow Veterans were “welcomed home” with patriotic signs and cheers.

“They had people lined up on both sides,” Waggoner said. “Seemed like it was a quarter of a mile long. I know it wasn’t that long, but I mean, people were everywhere, just cheering you on…It was almost unbelievable. It was a total contrast what they showed all us Veterans on this trip to what it was back in ‘67 when I got back from Vietnam. It was just totally different and opposite…It was sort of a healing experience for me.”

Waggoner added that making the trip with his grandson, Asa, was a great experience.

“It was awesome,” Waggoner said. “I’m glad I decided to go. Everything was positive the whole time, and I enjoyed family time with him as well.”

“It meant a lot to me to spend the entire day honoring the military service that not only my grandfather sacrificed, but ALL the Veterans that were on the Honor Flight that day,” Asa Waggoner shared. “Some time ago, it wasn’t necessarily too much interest of him to do a lot of long distance traveling or do overnight trips anywhere, but over the years as a family we have gotten him to get out and about more, and him being able to go on this trip was a wonderful experience, and I know he really enjoyed himself that day just like I did.”

This is the 12th year the cooperatives have sponsored an Honor Flight. Kentucky’s Touchstone Energy Cooperatives began working with Honor Flight in 2010 to honor Kentucky’s veterans.

Learn more at www.honorflightky.org and www.togetherwesaveky.com.