A warm welcome home for Honor Flight Syracuse Mission 20

SYRACUSE, N.Y. (WSYR-TV) – A warm welcome home many veterans never received.

“No, not really just… strolled on through the airport and nobody cared,” Joe Mayo, an Air Force veteran, reflected on when he returned from service.

But after the Honor Flight trip to Washington D.C., veterans were greeted on Saturday, April 27, at Syracuse Hancock Airport with signs, smiles, and their loved ones.

“It’s just a very emotional and humbling experience. I was touched, and to see them all come to terms with their journey and now welcoming themselves and being welcomed back home,” Scott Mooney, the son of a veteran on the trip, said.

Scott’s dad is a Navy veteran who was most excited about seeing the monuments and reconnecting with his military family and the values of honor and commitment.

“And to reaffirm that with this journey to go back to D.C. to the monuments is a benefit to that it reaffirms the past, their level of commitment and the choices they made to serve the U.S.,” Mooney added.

It was a trip to revisit their histories, one that also brought closure.

“Just this moment of being involved with other kindred spirits, and those who want that path, I think is such a healing moment for them and to share their stories, and the tears, and the laughs, all day coming together,” Mooney explained.

A welcome home fit for heroes.