KALAMAZOO, Mich. (WOOD) — A group of veterans from Kalamazoo are back home after taking a trip of a lifetime to Washington, D.C. as part of the Talons Out Honor Flight.

The group spent the day visiting national monuments and paying their respects at Arlington National Cemetery — a day full of emotion, reflection and gratitude for their service.

The journey began with a meet-and-greet where each veteran was paired with a guardian — a volunteer who accompanies them throughout the trip.

“The guardian could be someone from the family or it could be a community guardian ... someone who has donated money and decided that they want to support a veteran for a mission,” explained Karen Lambert, the fundraising director for Talons Out Honor Flight.

For Vietnam War veteran Larry Johnson, it was a meaningful experience to be joined by his brother, Tim Johnson.

“It was a tremendous honor,” Tim Johnson said. “It was something I could never do, and this guy was my hero.”

Tim recalled the fear of having a loved one serve overseas during wartime.

“It was absolutely terrifying, and you couldn’t just send an email. You couldn’t get a phone call — he was gone,” he said. “It’s amazing what these veterans gave.”

The Talons Out Honor Flight serves veterans from the Vietnam War, Korean War and even World War II.

“In many cases, our Korean War veterans and our Vietnam veterans were not warmly welcomed home,” Lambert said. “Many cases they were spit on, they had trash thrown at them — they were not appreciated for what they did when they were gone.”

Throughout the trip, veterans visited several war memorials and were met with constant appreciation.

“They’re clapped, they’re kissed, they’re hugged, their hands are shaken — pretty much the whole day,” Lambert said.

“It brings closure to so many people that came back and were called baby killers — just terrible things — after they’d given the best years of their life out there,” Larry said.

One moment that stood out to him came during the national anthem at the meet and greet before the trip.

“We had a WWII veteran — I think he was 100 years old — and the national anthem was played and he struggled so hard to get up,” Larry said. “A couple people were helping him but he was not going to give in and sit down during that anthem. That’s the Greatest Generation — always will be.”

For Tim, watching his brother and others who served be honored was an emotional experience he won’t forget.

“I’ll never really understand, but to hear his perspective on things and spend the day and walk and talk and look at these impactful monuments to symbolize these are all humans — we lost these human beings and they can’t be forgotten,” he said. “Sometimes you can get caught up in so many negative things that you forget really what it’s all about."

The team is already in the process of planning their next trip in May 2026. They’re in need of volunteers and will hold fundraising events throughout the year to help fund the trip.