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JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (WJHL) – Honor Flight of the Appalachian Highlands (HFAH) is gearing up to escort veterans and their guardians to the nation’s capital for their Spring Missions 16 and 17.
This season, 40 guardians will join 21 veterans on these missions to Washington, D.C. The itinerary includes visits to iconic national memorials, with significant time at Arlington National Cemetery and the revered Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.
On Sunday afternoon, the guardians participated in training sessions to familiarize themselves with safety procedures for the three-day excursion, spanning from departure to return.
Michelle Stewart, the president of Honor Flight of the Appalachian Highlands, emphasizes how the journey often turns into a profound moment of contemplation for the veterans.
“The visit to Arlington National Cemetery allows them a chance to reflect at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier,” Stewart explained. “Many of these veterans have experienced the loss of a fellow soldier, whether during or after their service, making this an opportunity to pay tribute to those who served and sacrificed.”
For many veterans, visiting the nation’s memorials in Washington, D.C. can stir powerful memories. For some, it also offers something they’ve waited decades for: closure.
Jackie Cowden, a current guardian for HFAH knows that feeling all too well. The Air Force helicopter search-and-rescue veteran spent eight and a half years in service. Like many veterans, there were experiences he rarely spoke about. But one trip to the nation’s capital helped him reconnect with those memories and begin to process them.
Cowden once made the journey as a passenger on Honor Flight Mission 4, a nonprofit that flies veterans to Washington to visit the memorials built in their honor.
“You fill in gaps,” Cowden said. “It’s missing because a lot of us never talk about what we saw or what we did. And it’s good to be able to talk to someone. So that’s why I go back each time.”
The experience stayed with him long after the trip ended.
“It was an emotional trip, but it brought back a lot of things, gave you a lot of closure,” Cowden said. “So I wanted to give that to somebody else.”
Guardians undergo training before the trip, learning safety protocols, emergency procedures, and how to assist veterans using wheelchairs. They also receive guidance on how to support veterans living with post-traumatic stress, ensuring every traveler has someone ready to help throughout the journey.
Stewart says the mission of Honor Flight is to give veterans a meaningful and memorable experience.
“We like to call it a trip of a lifetime with honor,” she said. “And most of our veterans, when they come back, they say they truly had that moment.”
For Cowden, one moment stands out among all the stops.
“When you get to the wall,” he said, referring to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, “even the biggest guy lets go.”
HFAH Mission 16 will depart on April 10 at 7:30 a.m. and return on April 12 at 5:00 p.m. at East Side Freewill Baptist Church. HFAH Mission 17 will depart on May 1 at 8 a.m. and return May 3 at 5 p.m. at the Jonesborough Senior Center.
Community members are encouraged to visit and support the veterans in their honor flight return. In addition to families volunteering as guardians for their loved ones, community members can also volunteer.
To volunteer as a guardian within the upcoming Fall Honor Flight missions, click here.