Flags waved and applause filled the airport as Homer Wilson, a 100-year-old World War II Navy veteran from Conroe, returned from Honor Flight Houston’s trip to Washington, D.C.
“Welcome home!” the crowd shouted as Wilson made his way through the reception.
The trip was part of KPRC 2’s One More Thank You initiative, in partnership with Honor Flight Houston, Energy Transfer and Houston Christian University. Flight 38 brought veterans to the nation’s capital to visit memorials built in honor of their service.
Wilson said the experience was unforgettable. “In 40 hours you accomplish something that is just unbelievable,” he said.
Wilson grew up in McComb, Mississippi, where he remembers a close-knit community. “People just didn’t lock their houses,” he said. “It was very safe, and it was poor. But everybody was poor, so we didn’t know the difference.”
He enlisted in the Navy in 1943 after qualifying for the V-5 Naval Aviation program. He trained at Camp Shelby and was commissioned an ensign, recalling the “snappiest uniforms” he had ever seen.
But before flight school could begin, the war ended and the program shut down. Wilson moved to inactive duty in 1945 and was formally discharged in 1947.
His grandson, Austin Mitchell, joined him for the Honor Flight, sharing the experience and seeing Washington’s memorials together.
“It was just a surreal experience,” Mitchell said. “I felt so blessed that I got to accompany him and got to see some stuff that he’s never seen, surprisingly, at a hundred years old.”
Wilson said the Changing of the Guard and the Iwo Jima Memorial were especially moving reminders of the cost of war.
The airport welcome home was another highlight. Wilson gave the reception a “105 out of 100.”
“It was fantastic,” he said.
Honor Flight Houston says veterans can apply to join the waiting list for a future trip. The organization is especially encouraging World War II veterans to sign up.
