By Brad H., Director of Community and Staff Engagement
Brad and James Martin at the Lincoln Memorial.
Over the last ten years, I’ve led HEPL’s True Brew book club which meets monthly to discuss titles that explore the United States’ rich historical past. While this group satisfies the passion I have to study our nation’s history, it also has developed a community of friends that I look forward to meeting on a regular basis. James Martin and his wife Jane joined True Brew during the second year of its existence and have been dedicated members ever since. While both tend to read fiction, this group has expanded their interests. James is a Veteran of the Vietnam War, and his previous experiences enhance many of the discussions we have as it pertains to military history. Little did I know that our friendship over the years would lead us to a whirlwind trip on the Indy Honor Flight in September 2024.
Brad and James Martin at the U.S. Marine Corps War Memorial.
James was selected to join the Indy Honor Flight to Washington DC on September 14, 2024 with 85 other Veterans. The purpose of the Honor Flight is to honor the service of our Veterans by granting them an all-expenses-paid trip to our nation’s capital so they can visit many of the memorials that recognize their dedicated service. Each Veteran is allowed to be accompanied by one person to join them on the trip, and to my surprise and joy, James selected me! Joining James and the other Veterans from World War II, Korea, and Vietnam in DC will be a day that both he and I will never forget.
We flew out to Washington DC at 6:00am Saturday morning and were able to visit the US Marine Corp War Memorial (Iwo Jima), Arlington National Cemetery and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, the World War II Memorial, the Korean War Veterans Memorial, the Lincoln Memorial, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, and the United States Air Force Memorial. It was astonishing to watch the number of people who walked up to James and the other Veterans to graciously thank them for their service as they visited these hallowed sites. One woman was openly weeping as she thanked James at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. My favorite moment was at the Vietnam Wall where volunteers will assist visitors with rubbing off one of the 58,276 names of service members who died during the war onto a piece of paper. The volunteer was a Vietnamese gentleman, and James and he found after a few moments that they had both visited many similar locations in Vietnam. Despite a conflict over a half century ago, these two gentlemen found much in common and hugged each other warmly after a long conversation.
While the purpose of the Honor Flight is to allow the Veterans to visit these famous memorials, it also allows these comrades-in-arms to fellowship with one another and connect over shared experiences. James made many new friends with Veterans from Indiana but also got to meet Veterans from several others states that were also participating in the Honor Flight visits to Washington DC.
James Martin being honored at a ceremony in Plainfield High School.
As James and I were flying back home to Indianapolis that same evening, he was given a large envelope full of letters of gratitude from numerous local / state / federal government officials, friends, family, and even elementary students he didn’t know! They all thanked him for his service to our nation. It was sobering to watch these Veterans shed a tear or two as many of them obtained the thanks they deserved but didn’t always receive for their service. When James returned home from his service in the Vietnam War, he was met with hostility—a protester shouted insults and spat at him the moment he stepped off the bus. In contrast, when James returned to Plainfield High School from the Honor Flight, he was greeted by 600 people cheering him on as he walked onto the gymnasium floor. James is a man that has seen much in his lifetime, but on that evening, even he was amazed at the appreciation and grateful sentiments directed towards him and the other 85 veterans who were individually honored that night. The smile that James had on his face that evening was priceless.
I’m grateful for the experience I got to have with James on the Indy Honor Flight to Washington DC. More importantly, I’m thankful for his service to our nation during an extremely difficult time and the friendship that has grown through True Brew over the last decade.
Brad and James Martin