CYNTHIANA, Ky. (LEX 18) — In what’s often called the trip of a lifetime, dozens of veterans will travel to Washington D.C. on October 7 as part of the Honor Flight program.
Honor Flights take World War II, Korean War, and Vietnam War veterans to the nation’s capital for a one-day, all-expenses-paid visit to the memorials dedicated to their service.
For veterans lucky enough to get off the waiting list and onto a flight, it’s a special experience.
For the Lemons Brothers, the experience will be everything.
The brothers, Keith, Jerry, and Roger, each served during the Vietnam War. With 10 Lemons kids total, several years span between each brother, thus, they served at different times, but the bond of fighting the same war has brought them closer together.
“I left right after I turned 17 and joined the Navy,” said Keith, the oldest of the three. He recalled leaving for the military when his younger brother, Roger, was just seven years old. Roger remembers too.
“One time that I remember, we took him to Mount Sterling, that’s before I-64 was all the way through,” said Roger. “We let him out of the car, he grabbed his duffle bag and stuck his thumb out, and that’s the last time I saw him for several years.”
Keith dedicated 20 years to the U.S. Navy. He made his first trip to Vietnam in 1957.
Jerry, the middle brother, served in the Army, spending 1965 to 1968 in Vietnam.
Roger, the youngest of the three, enlisted in the Army and served in Vietnam from 1969 - 1970.
An older brother, Billy, fought too, but passed away 15 years ago.
Meeting with LEX 18 in Cynthiana before their Honor Flight, the Lemons brothers pulled out a photo album and shared memories of their time in Vietnam.
“I was there for 18 months, and sometimes I liked it, sometimes I didn't,” said Jerry.
For Roger, the judgment and disdain from many Americans made his return to the U.S. a challenge.
“Today, it’s changed,” said Roger. “My brothers, I'm proud of them. They’ve got their military hats on, but I can't do it…I'm still angry.”
Thinking back on that time, Keith is reminded of his parents, who watched as multiple sons went off to war.
“I imagine our mother, especially, had a lot of sleepless nights because the neighbors were getting notifications of sons being killed in action….so, I realize now how hard it probably was,” said Keith.
Despite mixed emotions, the Lemons brothers don’t regret volunteering to serve in Vietnam. More than anything, they’re grateful they all returned home and are still experiencing life together.
“When you get older like we are, you cherish every time we can get together,” said Keith.
Come October 7, they’ll have one of the best experiences yet when they travel to Washington D.C. for the Honor Flight.
In seeing the Vietnam War Memorial, the Lemons know they’ll be overcome with emotion for the soldiers who never came home, but they’re eager to have the experience together.
“It’s gonna be hard to describe because we're going there and a lot of our friends and people we were with in Vietnam won't be there…and it's gonna be hard,” said Roger.
The October 7 Honor Flight is sponsored by Toyota Motor Manufacturing of Kentucky, Inc. Organizers hope to see the community pay their respects to the Honor Flight veterans.
Citizens are welcome to greet the veterans when they return to the Blue Grass Airport in the evening. Participants should be at the airport at 7 p.m. on October 7.
You can learn more about the Honor Flight here.
