MACON, Ga. — Veterans Day is a time to honor the service members that protect our country and there's one group in Central Georgia who's committed to doing that six times a year, called Middle Georgia Honor Flight.
They're a nonprofit that takes veterans to see the memorials in Washington D.C. at no cost to them. In October, they took a group of 12 Vietnam War Veterans and two Korean War Veterans on a flight.
Vietnam veteran John Blanks Jr. was on the October flight. The day of honor in D.C. was decades in the making for him. His dad, John Blanks Sr. was a WWII veteran and Purple Heart recipient.
"He served basically from France up into Germany," Blanks Jr. said.
His dad was part of the "the generation that saved the world" and that came with a lot of respect. Ask almost anyone- they'll tell you it's an honor to know a World War II veteran. Blanks Jr. got to honor his dad at the WWII Memorial in D.C. alongside his son- John Blanks III who's also a veteran.
"When I got out, it was- it was the beginning of the 'thank you for your service movement' so I, I kind of betted from everything that he didn't benefit from," Blanks III said.
Two generations of Blanks men were honored when they came home, but the honor flight was about honoring the one who wasn't- John Blanks Jr.
"My wife met me in Hawaii for my r&r. And I got on the plane to go back to Vietnam and she went to the hair dresser. And the hairdresser asked her one question. How does it feel to sleep with a baby killer?" Blanks Jr. said.
He said he was also spat on, and called names himself. Those comments and the protests that followed Vietnam Veterans home, hurt. Nothing can change what those veterans went through. And while it doesn't make up for it- Middle Georgia Honor Flight spends an entire day giving those veterans the opposite treatment.
They get saluted with water cannons when they fly into Baltimore from the Macon Regional Airport. And they're greeted with a welcome party when they exit the plane. All day long, people greet them with handshakes, hugs, and thanks along the way as they visit the memorials. They also get a special, front-row view at The Changing of the Guard at Arlington National Cemetery.
And before they visited the Vietnam Wall, a representative from the Vietnam War Commemoration pinned the veterans with a 50 Anniversary Commemorative Lapel pin and thanked them each individually.
And as the group of veterans made their way over to the Vietnam Wall, some of them took photos, and stone rubbed the names on the wall- over 58,000 American names are carved in the wall of men and women who never made it home.
For Blanks Jr. it's always a difficult walk along the wall.
"In basic terms, I put several of them on that wall."
He said the wall brings up old memories for him- and serves as a reminder that the Vietnam Veterans are not forgotten.
"Gives me a chance to honor some of the ones that I didn't know their names, and some of the ones that I do know their names," Blanks said.
The honor flight brings up a lot of memories for some veterans, but visiting the memorials also brings up conversations that otherwise wouldn't have happened.
"I've heard some of the stories, but hearing him talk to the people that were actually there, you hear more than you've heard as family," Blanks III said.
Through the day, friendships form, and some wounds began to heal with each thank you, and welcome home those veterans received. It was a welcome sound to those who never heard a proper "thanks".
Middle Georgia Honor Flight began in 2018, and this trip was their 23rd flight.
They take Vietnam, Korea, WWII, and terminally ill veterans on six trips a year for free. They can also bring a guardian from someone in their family.
To sign up yourself, or a veteran you know, visit this link. Middle Georgia Honor Flight is ran on donations, and if you'd like to help pay for one of the trips, you can visit this link.