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Second Class Jerry Phillips were the first Coast Guardsmen killed in action in Vietnam on August 11, 1966 — but by friendly fire. Brooks had a much different fate. He had a long career, including 23 years in the Coast Guard, and is now president of the Del Mar Historical Society and a longtime community volunteer. After scanning the wall, Dwight Wait found the name of a fellow pilot shot down in Vietnam. A young boy quickly climbed a ladder and obtained a pencil rubbing of the name, handing it to Wait. Although offered money for his services, the boy refused. A heartfelt thank you was enough. Marine Corps Memorial One of the most memorable moments during the tour was at the Marine Corps Memorial in Arlington County where, beneath the famous bronze statue of Marines hoisting an American flag over Iwo Jima, a group of veterans including Retired Brigadier General Mike Neil spontaneously broke into a rousing rendition of the Marines' Hymn. "From the Halls of Montezuma to the shores of Tripoli," they sang, "We fight our country's battles in the air, on land, and sea…" After viewing so many "cold granite memorials and cold bronze men," Brooks later told me, "the veterans standing and singing brought the memorial to life." "I was very emotionally impacted by this trip," says Bob Kamensky, who recalls that Roger Rhodes at one point asked him to stop so he could have a private conversation with a Black, wheelchair-bound Vietnam veteran. "Both men were streaming tears," said Kamensky. Rhodes later told me by phone, "I took the veteran by the hand and said, 'I just want to apologize for the way you were treated…I want to thank you for your service.'" Before boarding buses back to our hotel, we watched a flag folding ceremony in honor of Neil Black, the former prisoner of war in Vietnam. "ank you all for being here to honor Neil in such a special way for his huge sacrifice to our country," team leader Saundra Cima told the crowd. "Freedom is not free. He proved that by serving 2,703 days [in captivity]." After a celebratory closing dinner, we packed up and got ready for the early morning flight back to San Diego. During the trip, veterans and their battle buddies reminisced about all they had seen and experienced. Little did many of them know what awaited them. As the plane touched down at Lindbergh Field, water cannons announced their arrival and a Navy Honor Guard saluted the veterans as they deplaned. At the Terminal Two baggage claim, a crowd estimated at 1,500 greeted the veterans with signs and banners, cheers and applause. ere were balloons, bands, beauty queens, junior marines, scout troops, schoolteachers, and veterans from previous flights. "Welcome home!" cried the emcee over and over as the veterans came into view. "is is all for you! ank you for your service!" Veterans, many of whom had received no such homecoming, especially after the Vietnam War, seemed stunned by the stirring reception. "at brought tears to my eyes," said Loftman. "It was an astounding demonstration of appreciation. It made an impression on me, that people understand what being a veteran has meant." Retired Navy Chief Petty Officer Bruce Plummer of Escondido, 86, who also served in Vietnam and spent most of his 20-year career in classified Navy communications, called the entire Honor Flight experience "awe inspiring." His son, who was his battle buddy, also had a wonderful time, Plummer said. "It gave us a chance to bond more." Kamensky was so moved by his experience that he has already signed up to become a guardian on an Honor Flight next spring. "ere is a sense of camaraderie among the brotherhood of arms that transcends the different generations who were represented on the Honor Flight regardless of your age, the theatre you were involved in, whether you were in combat or not," he told me. Rhodes later said he was grateful that Kamensky was his battle buddy, and humbled by the entire experience. He plans to write notes to all the people who sent him cards and letters for the flight's "mail call." at could take quite a while — more than 60 people thanked him for his service. "I don't think Webster's Dictionary has a word that describes what that trip meant to me," he later told me by phone. "It's a trip that I wish every veteran could take." In the cheering crowd was a beaming Sue Busby, the generous donor who had sponsored the flight. As Will Rogers once wrote, "We can't all be heroes," but like Busby and the crowd that gathered at Lindbergh Field, we can thank them for their sacrifice. Honor Flight San Diego is open to all veterans who served in the U.S. military from the start of World War II in 1941 to the end of the Vietnam War in 1975. e community is welcome to sponsor a veteran for about $3,000 or become a battle buddy for $950. To apply either as a veteran or as a battle buddy, visit the Honor Flight San Diego website. 800.655.6997, honorflightsandiego.org Donor Sue Busby with her son @ranchandcoast RANCH & COAST MAGAZINE JUNE 2025 85