(WKYT) – More than 60 Kentucky veterans traveled to Washington, D.C., on August 29, 2026, with Honor Flight Kentucky to visit the war memorials built in their honor.
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The day started at Blue Grass Airport in Lexington with roll call at 5 a.m. Veterans were paired with guardians for the trip, which included stops at the Korean War Veterans Memorial, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Arlington National Cemetery, the World War II Memorial and the U.S. Marine Corps War Memorial.
Korean War veteran receives surprise medal
The first stop was the Korean War Veterans Memorial, where 93-year-old Hobert Withers of Somerset was among those honored.
“I spent four years in the Navy, made two tours of Korea, then I went to the Marshall Islands for a hydrogen bomb test in 54, the first hydrogen bomb test above ground,” Withers said.
His granddaughter, Amber Meece, served as his guardian for the trip.
“It means so much; he’s never been to Washington, D.C. He served, left Somerset, Kentucky, as a teenager, and he and my grandmother were married and moved to California and left everything they knew so he could serve his country,” Amber said.
Withers received a surprise during the trip. An ambassador presented him with the Ambassador of Peace Medal from the Korean Embassy.
“I am here today to give thanks to you for your dedication and sacrifice to my country,” the ambassador said.
“Very heartwarming because some of those guys paid the price for me,” Withers said.
Veterans remember the fallen at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial
Most of the veterans on the trip served in Vietnam. Many spent time at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial wall, looking for the names of those they served with.
Jerry Phelps of Somerset searched the wall for the name of a man he served with who was killed, he says, just days before he was set to return home.
“He was in my platoon in Vietnam. We were with the 101st Airborne Division, and we hit a hot spot, and about the first two, three rounds went right through him,” Phelps said.
Barry and Nancy Miller of Lexington met while serving in Germany and have been married 56 years. They came to the wall together.
“Well, we met in Germany and spent some time there together; we were actually going to get married there, and then Barry got orders for Vietnam so we postponed that, thought it would be better,” Nancy Miller said.
“I don’t know why I’m getting so emotional, “said Barry Miller.
Nancy told us there was a man they served with in Germany whose name is on the wall.
Arlington National Cemetery and other memorials
The veterans also visited Arlington National Cemetery, where they stopped at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Four Kentucky veterans took part in a wreath-laying ceremony there.
The trip also included stops at the World War II Memorial and the U.S. Marine Corps War Memorial. At the Marine Corps memorial, we met James Ziegler of Louisville, who retired as a first sergeant.
“To see all the veterans coming together and having a smile and having a good time and letting them see what we went through and let them know we do care,” Ziegler said.
Ziegler said a highlight of the trip was the bond formed with his guardian, Stephen.
“I met my chaperone, Stephen; he’s wonderful. God blessed me with a wonderful person, and I’m just elated with that. I met a friend for life,” Ziegler said.
Tour directors reflect on the mission
Tour director Linda Cunningham said moments like those are what make the trip meaningful.
“It’s very rewarding. I got involved in Honor Flight by being one of the women on the all-women’s Honor Flight, and it was such a transformative day that I wanted to do it for as many veterans as I can,” Cunningham said.
Tamika Saxx, another tour director, is also a veteran and mental health professional. She said the trips can be difficult for some veterans.
“Mentally, of course, it’s scary for them; they are nervous. Some of them decide, ‘ Hey, I’m okay; I don’t want to go over to The Wall,’ or ‘I don’t want to see different memorials,’ but in the middle of it all its rewarding for them,” Saxx said.
Mail call ends the trip
Every Honor Flight Kentucky trip ends with mail call, a nod to the time when veterans were stationed away from home. Each veteran received a mail bag filled with cards and letters.
Veterans were then welcomed back to Kentucky.
A birthday surprise and other stories
Denzil Cole of Irvine learned his Honor Flight date fell on his birthday.
“She said, ‘ Are you ready to go on the Honor Flight? ‘ I said, ‘ Yeah.’ I said, ‘When is this? ‘ She said, ‘ Aug. 29.’ I said, ‘ What? How does this happen on your birthday?’ I said ‘What a blessing the good lord is looking after me,’ Cole said.
“I know I’m just a small part of what I served the country, but I enjoyed serving my country. I gave 110% when I went in,” Cole said.
While at the Vietnam Memorial, he told us just how close he came to being deployed to Vietnam, but because of a conflict involving North Korea, he was spared and sent elsewhere.
“I just had days left, and we had a conflict in North Korea, and it blew up; they were going to hit South Korea, so he ordered so many troops right out of training to South Korea, and how lucky was I to go over there; it was a blessing that probably saved my life,” Cole said.
Harry Humes of Harrodsburg said the trip gave him a chance to reconnect with fellow veterans.
“To be on a trip with other veterans like this, it’s such an honor to hear the stories, and we can relate over what we saw and we what we felt and the whole ambiance of being with a group of veterans,” Humes said.
Humes carries two sets of dog tags. One represents Carol, the donor of the heart he received in a transplant nearly 27 years ago.
“This represents Carol; I have Carol’s heart in my chest. I have a heart from a heart donor. I’m going on 27 years, and Carol was in the Army; she was a parachute rigger,” Humes said.
“And I thought I’ve got to honor her because there is nobody else going to be able to do that, and I thought this was an appropriate time and place and way of doing it,” Humes said.
Thomas LoManto was surprised to find family members waiting for him in Washington, D.C.
“In addition to Brian, I got off the plane this morning, and I had three cousins there, and it’s been very special,” LoManto said.
Honor Flight Kentucky’s mission is to provide trips to as many veterans as possible. For more information on ways to get involved or to donate, click here.