Brothers in Service
Honor Flight DFW reconnects veterans with history, heroes and healing
By Bob Wieland
Two longtime friends and fellow members of American Legion Post 315 in Wylie recently shared a journey neither will ever forget.
Vietnam veterans Don Bridges and Chuck Davis made a trip to Washington, D.C., on Flight #60 sponsored by Honor Flight DFW (HFDFW), a nonprofit volunteer-run program that takes veterans to visit the memorials built in their honor.
For both men, it was an emotional two days filled with gratitude, remembrance and brotherhood.
“It was one of the most memorable experiences I’ve ever had in my life, and I’ve done a lot,” Bridges said. “When we landed at Reagan [airport], it was probably one of the most emotional experiences I ever had. There had to be hundreds, if not a couple thousand people, clapping for
us. I still get choked up thinking about it.”
The October 2025 flight on Southwest Airlines carried more than 40 veterans, mostly from the Vietnam era and two from Korea.
Each participant was paired with a volunteer guardian responsible for their comfort and safety throughout the trip.
Bridges, 79, served in the U.S. Navy from 1964 to 1968. He was an aviation electrician aboard the aircraft carrier USS Kearsarge (CVS-33), making two deployments to the South China Sea and Gulf of Tonkin during the Vietnam War.
“When we got off the plane in Washington, the fire trucks were spraying water, and the people were cheering,” he said. “They carried our bags, they fed us — there was always plenty to eat. Everything was first class.”
The veterans’ itinerary mirrored that of earlier flights: the National World War II Memorial, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, the Korean War Memorial, the Marine Corps’ Iwo Jima monument Arlington National Cemetery.
For Bridges, the Vietnam Wall was the most emotional stop.
“I’ve got six people I know on that wall,” he said. “A grade school friend, a high school friend, and four guys from my outfit — pilot, co-pilot, two crewmen. They went out and never came back. I took pictures of their names and one for my brother, whose commander’s name was there too.”
He paused before adding softly, “I couldn’t quit crying the whole time I was out there. I was just overwhelmed.”
At Arlington, he and the others watched the Changing of the Guard at the Tomb of the Unknowns, a moment that deeply impressed him. “They made sure we got front row for that,” Bridges said. “It was fantastic. We saw Audie Murphy’s grave, and our driver pointed out others, like Joe Louis and Lee Marvin. It was just an incredible experience.”
Bridges said he was grateful for the care the organization provided. “They had about 40 wheelchairs,” he said. “I didn’t need one, but they went the extra mile for everyone. I can’t say enough — they were top shelf, first class, A-1, all the above.”
For Davis, 81, a retired Marine who served in Vietnam, the trip was equally moving.
He first arrived in Vietnam in March 1965 as part of the original Marine landing south of Da Nang, and later served a second tour with the First Marine Aircraft Wing at Marble Mountain Air Facility, part of Marine Aircraft Group 16.
“I made the original landing with the Marines in ’65,” he said. “On my second tour, I was with a helicopter group. A lot of the guys I flew with — their names are all together on the wall, when the bird went down.”
Like Bridges, Davis said the flight began early at Dallas Love Field.
“Departing Love, it wasn’t too big a crowd, but it kind of gave us a preview of what was coming,” he said. “By the time we hit Reagan, it brought me to tears. It was overwhelming. To come home from Vietnam and not see a single soul, then to see something like that — wow.”
At the U.S. Marine Corps War Memorial, Davis experienced a moment he’ll never forget. “Somebody was taking my picture, and above the statue there was this little black dot. It was a bald eagle circling the memorial,” he said. “As it should be.”
He was also moved by the solemnity of Arlington and the Changing of the Guard. “You can watch it online all day long, but it’s not like standing there in real time,” Davis said. “Those guys are incredible. It’s almost automatic for them, they do it so well.”
Bridges and Davis, both members of Wylie’s American Legion Hale-Combest Post 315, said they were grateful to share the experience as friends.
“They went out of their way to keep us together the whole time,” Davis said. “Same flight, same hotel room, same guardian (Dave Marshall of Arlington). Everywhere we went, we were treated like heroes. The whole trip, we felt so honored. I was just doing my job back then, but it was awesome to be recognized.”
The homecoming at Love Field was another highlight. “As soon as we cleared security, there was a bagpipe band, the colors, and a crowd of people,” Davis said. “Air Force ROTC cadets saluted us. Everybody’s eyes were kind of wet — I think it was allergies or something.”
Bridges, who went on to a 50-year career as an electrical contractor in the Dallas area, said the trip reaffirmed his pride in service. “It was overwhelming,” he said. “I’m trying to get my brother and a couple of my other buddies to go before they move on to Chapter Two. I’d like them to experience what I did.”
Davis, still active in local veterans’ projects, said the experience renewed his sense of connection. “Nobody was a stranger on that flight,” he said. “You could walk up and talk to anybody about where they were, what they did. For a lot of us, it was the first time we’d ever really talked about our experiences because the people there understood.”
Both men said they plan to help with the Wall that Heals display in Founders Park Oct. 30 to Nov. 2 and to stay active with veterans’ organizations.
“I felt so blessed,” Davis said. “To see the support, to see that people still care. It meant everything.”
How to Apply for an Honor Flight
Honor Flight DFW is a nonprofit, all-volunteer organization that flies veterans from North Texas to Washington, D.C., for a two-day trip to visit their service memorials.
There is no cost to the veteran and every participant is accompanied by a trained guardian.
Eligible veterans include those who served during World War II, the Korean War or the Vietnam War.
Applications are available online at www.honorflightdfw.org, or by mail upon request.
Since 2009, more than 2,000 North Texas veterans have participated in Honor Flight DFW, with new flights departing several times each year.