Jesse Payne stands in front of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C. Jesse was able to see the sights in the nation’s capital thanks to the Honor Flight.

One local veteran was recently honored and thrilled to take part in an Honor Flight to Washington, D.C. Jesse Payne of Tarkio, who was in the United States Air Force and served during the Vietnam War from 1959 to 1964, was one of 157 U.S. veterans who were part of the Honor Flight that traveled to the nation’s capital on May 18, 2022. According to the Honor Flight website: “The Honor Flight Network is a national network of independent hubs working together to honor our nation’s veterans with an all-expenses paid trip to the memorials in Washington, D.C., a trip many of our veterans may not otherwise be able to take.  Participation in an Honor Flight trip gives veterans the chance to share this momentous trip with other veterans, to remember friends and comrades lost, and share their stories and experiences with each other.”

Jesse left on a chartered flight out of Kansas City International Airport before the sun rose on May 18, 2022, and along with the other veterans on the plane, were welcomed at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport with fire trucks lining the runway and spraying water on the plane as it taxied in. The veterans then were able to tour and see some of the sights D.C. has to offer, including the World War II, Korean, and Vietnam War Memorials, the Lincoln, Jefferson, and Washington Monuments,the National Mall, Arlington National Cemetery and the tomb and wreath of the unknown soldier and the changing of the guard. There was only one stop the group was unable to make due to a traffic jam. When the veterans returned to KCI that same night, they were welcomed at the airport by a huge crowd of people of all ages there just for them.

For Jesse, this was a trip of a lifetime. He had never been to Washington, D.C., and found the trip to be very interesting and a great experience enjoyed with other veterans. This was the first Honor Flight in three years due to COVID-19 and the Kansas City office already has a waiting list of 300 veterans.

Jesse is a member of the Allen-Schiffern American Legion Post #199 in Tarkio and serves on the Honor Guard. He is also the City of Tarkio’s building inspector. Jesse encourages other veterans to fill out the Honor Flight paperwork to get the chance to go on this incredible adventure. More information and registration can be found at honorflight.org.