SPOKANE, Wash. – 94 veterans from the Inland Northwest are headed off on the trip of a lifetime. They’re traveling to Washington, D.C., as part of the Inland Northwest Honor Flight.
“We are beyond grateful for all of you and truly do owe you our lives and our very way of life,” a speaker said during the send-off ceremony.
Today’s Honor Flight is a gift from the community to those who risked their lives to protect ours. Before sunrise, 85 Vietnam War veterans, seven Korean War veterans, and two World War II veterans filed into Spokane International Airport.
“It’s just special to be with the brothers, you know? We all served a common cause, and that’s special for me,” said veteran Jim Routt.
Lt. Col. Jim Routt served from 1970 to 2012. He was the oldest active-duty pilot in the U.S. Air Force. His list of accolades is long, but he remains humble.
“It was just an honor, a total honor, and I would do it again. If I was young enough,” he said with a laugh.
Vietnam veterans like Routt never received support or appreciation when they returned home. For many, this Honor Flight offers a long-overdue chance to heal.
“I remember coming back from the Vietnam War and we weren’t well-liked. I remember walking through the Seattle airport and people were saying bad things about us because we were in uniform coming home. So, I think for me it’s kind of a closure on a couple of things.”
More importantly for Routt, he gets to share this trip with his brother.
Though the visit is less than 48 hours, it is far from short and sweet. It’s somber. Veterans will visit several memorials, including the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, which bears the names of more than 58,000 servicemembers who lost their lives.
“One of them is for a gentleman that I went to high school with. So I’m going to get his name and bring it back for the family,” said veteran Gary Warner.
The veterans will return home Tuesday night at 7:30 p.m. The public is invited to welcome them back at Spokane International Airport.
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