Earlier this week, a small crowd gathered outside Gate C at Indianapolis International Airport to welcome ten Indiana veterans and their closest family members. The group is boarding a Meta‑sponsored Honor Flight that will take them to Washington, D.C. for a Veterans Day visit to the nation’s most revered military memorials.
Veterans share personal stories
Freddie Edwards, 75, grew up in Florida before moving to Indianapolis’s near‑north side in the late 1960s. After hearing about the humanitarian crisis in Biafra, he decided to enlist in the U.S. Marine Corps in 1970, hoping to use his medical training abroad. Though he never reached Biafra, Edwards served in Vietnam and Okinawa, later working as an automotive mechanic supervisor for IPS before retiring in Lawrence. An on‑base explosion at Camp Pendleton eventually cost him his vision, leading to his medical retirement in 1978.
David Wood, 64, a native of Angola, Indiana, followed a family tradition of Army service, enlisting in 1980. He spent two decades as an Army medic, later working at several Indiana universities. Wood now lives with a guide dog named Tessi after losing an eye to intraocular melanoma. He credits his wife, Linda, for making the Honor Flight possible, noting that “every veteran will tell you the same. You couldn’t do it without your spouse.”
Glenn Walker, 75, from Portland, Indiana, joined the Indiana National Guard at age 20 to avoid the Vietnam draft. Trained as a mortarman, he later fulfilled a six‑year Army contract, describing his infantry nights as “a party.” After service, Walker left the Guard, grew a beard in protest of military grooming rules, and now serves on his local American Legion honor guard, helping lay veterans to rest.
Jeff Leffler, 71, a Greenwood resident, entered the Army in 1980 to fund a college education. He served as an infantryman before moving to the Adjutant General Corps, which took him to Germany, Croatia, and Bosnia‑Herzegovina. A recent stroke left him visually impaired, placing him among the 130,000 veterans who will receive free Ray‑Ban Meta AI glasses that can read documents and identify objects. Leffler’s wife, retired VA nurse Vicki, accompanies him on the flight, emphasizing the day’s patriotic significance.
Roger Gilliland, 73, hails from Peru, Indiana, and enlisted in the Navy in 1968 as a hospital corpsman. He served at Great Lakes, Norfolk, and Camp Lejeune, forming lifelong bonds with fellow sailors. Though his memories of service are fading, Gilliland looks forward to honoring his father’s World War II service and his uncle’s Korean‑War sacrifice at the Vietnam Wall.
Why the Honor Flight matters
The Honor Flight program, founded in 1995, provides free transportation for veterans of World War II through the Vietnam era to visit the nation’s military memorials. By bringing Indiana’s veterans to the capital on Veterans Day, the program underscores the enduring gratitude of families and communities for those who served.
Meta’s sponsorship of the flight reflects a growing partnership between the tech sector and veteran‑focused nonprofits, ensuring that financial barriers do not prevent veterans from experiencing this national tribute.
Community support and future plans
Local organizations, including the American Legion and various veterans’ groups, have helped coordinate the trip, offering logistical assistance and emotional support. The veterans hope the experience will inspire younger generations to appreciate the sacrifices made for America’s freedoms.
After the Washington, D.C., visit, the veterans will return to Indiana, where they plan to share their reflections with local schools, churches, and community groups, reinforcing the values of patriotism, family, and faith that have guided their lives.
Original reporting: Mirror Indy — read the source article.
