Welcome Home
“A lot of people coming back, they don’t [expect it]. They’re just totally in awe when they come in and that airport is packed. It’s the welcome home they never got, especially for the Vietnam veterans.” ~Lee Bedore, Honor Flight Organizer
One might think that all of the activities of a day spent in Washington, D.C. would leave Iowa veterans with so many things to talk about, it would be difficult to choose which experience stood out the most. For many, one lasting memory has nothing at all to do with the nation’s capital. Rather, the highlight of the day happens on the concourse of the Waterloo Regional Airport when the veterans disembark from the airplane and are greeted by hundreds of friends and family members welcoming them home.
And what a welcome it is. An escort provided by the Knights of Columbus leads the parade of veterans in, the terminal lined with people waving American flags, families holding welcome home signs for their favorite veterans. Hugs and handshakes abound, all while the Cedar Valley Big Band performs such standards as “American Patrol,” “In the Mood” and “Sing, Sing, Sing.”
While The Cedar Valley Honor Flight Story: A Photographic Journey contains dozens of images that span nearly thirty welcome home celebrations, perhaps one photograph, captured in October 2018, best expresses the joy of the moment. As the festivities of the celebration were winding down, one final wheelchair descended down the jetway transporting a veteran who was quickly joined by, wait for it… his beautiful bride of who knows how many years.
Welcome home, indeed!