John W. McCaskill, a military historian and board member of the Honor Flight Network, is flanked by Tommy Olds and Larry Smalls, both Vietnam veterans, in this 2021 photo taken at the Air Force Memorial in Arlington, Va. (John McCaskill)
WASHINGTON — More than two dozen Black veterans whose military service spans World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War will embark Wednesday on the first-ever honor flight to commemorate Juneteenth at war memorials and monuments in the nation’s capital.
“Black veterans were charged with defending our nation, while also battling various limits placed upon them by society. This trip will highlight their courage and show gratitude for their service,” said John W. McCaskill, a military historian and board member of the Honor Flight Network, a nonprofit organization.
The Honor Flight Network has hosted nearly 300,000 veterans on flights and tours of Washington, D.C., since launching in 2005.
But this is the first time that the Honor Flight Network will commemorate Juneteenth — the June 19th federal holiday to remember the Emancipation Proclamation, which President Lincoln issued in 1863.
The proclamation, which declared the end of slavery, formally allowed the acceptance of Black troops to serve in the Union Army and Navy during the Civil War, “enabling the liberated to become liberators,” according to the National Archives and Records Administration.
Marian Dee Elder — a 69-year-old veteran of the Army, Navy and Air Force — will be among the veterans on an honor flight from Atlanta, Ga., to Washington, D.C., for a day of activities on Juneteenth, which is Wednesday, June 19, 2024. (Marian Dee Elder)
“As a Black female veteran, it is a deep honor for me to be selected to go on this flight,” said Marian Elder, whose military service spanned more than 20 years.
Elder — a 69-year-old veteran of the Army, Navy and Air Force — will be among the veterans traveling Wednesday from Atlanta to Washington for a day of activities.
Elder said she applied to participate in the honor flight after learning about it from a veterans organization.
“When I joined the military in 1973, there was a lot of prejudice. There were few women — and even fewer Black women in the service. But things have changed so much. The opportunities are there,” she said.
Black women today make up one-third of all women in the U.S. military, which is twice their representation in the civilian population.
Participants at Wednesday’s event will include a 101-year-old World War II veteran, three Purple Heart recipients and four veterans who are women.
Veterans and their chaperones will take part in a full day of activities with tours of Arlington National Cemetery, the World War II Memorial, Korean War Memorial, Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Lincoln Memorial and the national 9/11 Pentagon Memorial, among other sites.
All the honored veterans travel at no cost aboard a commercial airline to tour monuments in and around the nation’s capital.
Elder said she joined the military after she graduated from high school for the training and opportunities.
She first served as a medic in the Army from 1973-1977, followed by four years of service in the Navy as a corpsman. She enlisted in the Air Force after attending college to study nursing under the GI bill.
Elder was a captain in the Air Force, working for 14 years as a flight nurse. She retired in 1997.
McCaskill said he tells Black veterans their participation is important, so they can inspire future generations to serve.
The Honor Flight Network plans to recognize Juneteenth every year as part of its mission to celebrate the service of U.S. military veterans, including many who are aging and disabled.
“It is powerful to tell the stories of Black veterans,” McCaskill said. “Many of our Black veterans fought America’s enemies abroad only to return home and experience racism. They are as much part of the fabric of this nation as anyone else who served.”
