Thursday, October 1, 2026
More than five decades after many Vietnam veterans returned home without the recognition and appreciation given to earlier generations of service members, Honor Flight Long Island is continuing its mission to provide them with the welcome they deserved.
On Aug. 1, 46 Long Island veterans who participated in the organization’s May 2 Honor Flight to Washington, D.C., will reunite at the American Airpower Museum in Farmingdale to reflect on their experience and receive commemorative Tribute Journals documenting their journey. Among those who took part was Levittown resident John Strong, a Vietnam War Army veteran who served as a Specialist 4th Class.
The free reunion event will be held from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Hangar 3 at the museum, located at 1230 New Highway. Veterans, their guardians and families may attend at no cost, while members of the public may attend for free from 10:30 a.m. to noon.
The May 2 flight included 41 Vietnam veterans, along with one World War II veteran and four Korean War veterans. During the one-day trip, veterans visited the World War II, Korean and Vietnam War memorials, Arlington National Cemetery, the Air Force Memorial, Navy Memorial and other landmarks in Washington.
According to Honor Flight Long Island President Bill Jones, the trip was about more than visiting monuments — it was about honoring veterans whose service was not always recognized when they returned home.
“What this flight really represented was a ‘big hug’ to all our veterans from Honor Flight, their families and supporters,” Jones said.
Jones said one of the most meaningful changes he has witnessed over the years has been the way Vietnam veterans are welcomed during Honor Flight trips.
For World War II and Korean War veterans, he said, the message they often hear from the public is “thank you for your service.” But when Vietnam veterans began participating in Honor Flight trips, that message changed.
“Organically, and without any kind of prompting, when we started taking Vietnam veterans, that message changed to ‘welcome home,’” Jones said. “That’s incredibly meaningful for our Vietnam veterans, who were not welcomed home back in the 60s and 70s.”
The Vietnam War era was a divisive time in the United States, and many veterans returned to a country where their service was not always acknowledged or appreciated.
Jones said Honor Flight provides an opportunity for some veterans to begin healing from those experiences.
“There is a little bit of healing that goes on,” he said. “The thank yous that they receive and the welcome home really is a highlight of the day that they experience.”
The reunion gives veterans another opportunity to share those memories with family members and friends who were not able to join them on the trip. Each veteran will receive a personalized Tribute Journal filled with photographs from their day in Washington, along with additional pictures submitted by their families.
The journals have become a tradition for Honor Flight Long Island over the last several years.
“They’re like a coffee table book,” Jones said. “They can keep them out and show them to their neighbors and their family. It reminds them of their day rather than just relying on their memory alone.”
Jones said the reunion also allows veterans to reconnect with the people they met during the trip and continue sharing their stories.
While the May 2 flight provided emotional moments throughout the day, Jones said one unexpected memory stood out — a wild turkey that appeared during the changing of the guard ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery.
“It was just an incredible service, and there happened to be a wild turkey in the midst of the changing of the guard,” Jones said.
Honor Flight Long Island has conducted approximately 45 flights during its nearly two decades of operation, bringing veterans from across Nassau and Suffolk counties to Washington.
Veterans are selected based on the date their applications are received, though priority is given to surviving World War II and Korean War veterans due to their age. Vietnam veterans currently make up the majority of those waiting for future flights.
Jones encouraged any veteran who has not yet applied to consider signing up.
“We truly want to honor them for their service to their country,” Jones said. “Everyone served in some capacity. It wasn’t their choice whether they served in combat or not. They were all part of the team.”
The Aug. 1 ceremony will include remarks from Honor Flight Long Island and American Airpower Museum officials, a performance of the Armed Forces Salute by the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary Flotilla Band, and a performance of “Welcome Home, My Brother” by Honor Flight Guardian Eric Wieboldt of Merrick.
The event will also feature free refreshments and an opportunity for the community to show its appreciation to the veterans.
Veterans interested in applying for a future Honor Flight can submit an application through Honor Flight Long Island.
