Public invited to attend MS Coast welcome home celebration after D.C. honor flight
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- Twenty-seven Mississippi veterans visited D.C. war memorials via Honor Flight.
- Five Gulf Coast veterans return Tuesday to a welcome-home celebration in Gulfport.
- WoodmenLife raised $50,000 through local chapters to fund 2025 veterans' journey.
A group of 27 Mississippi veterans traveled to Washington, D.C., this week on an all-expense-paid honor flight to visit the nation’s war memorials.
Five of those veterans will be honored Tuesday night with a welcome-home celebration, offering many the recognition they never received after returning from Vietnam. The public is invited to attend.
The five Gulf Coast-based veterans — John James, Jim Thomas, Robert Thomas, Jimmy Zdmeek and John Battle — are scheduled to arrive at the Gulfport-Biloxi International Airport just after 5:30 p.m. on Delta Air Lines flight 2207.
Supporters are encouraged to attend with posters, flags and messages of gratitude. The remaining veterans will receive similar welcome-home celebrations at airports in Jackson and Memphis.
The honor flight was sponsored by WoodmenLife, a nonprofit fraternal benefit society known for its community involvement. According to WoodmenLife representative and Gulfport City Councilmember Johnny Hoggatt, the trip was made possible by the Mississippi WoodmenLife chapters, which raised more than $50,000 to fund the journey.
“It’s just a great experience to honor the veterans in this way,” Hoggatt said. “We’re hoping we’ll have a large crowd to welcome them.”
Among the returning veterans is Robert “Bob” Thomas of Gulfport, who served in Vietnam. He described visiting Arlington National Cemetery as a heartfelt moment.
“We’ve forgotten how many people gave their lives so they could have the freedoms” enjoyed in the country, Thomas said.
