BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — You might be familiar with Honor Flight Kern County, which takes local veterans to Washington D.C. to visit war memorials, but not everyone can make that trip. Now, the first-ever Kern County Honor Bus is looking to take those veterans to see the replica Vietnam Wall that will be stopping in San Luis Obispo in March, just in time for the 50th anniversary of the removal of U.S. combat troops from Vietnam.
Army Veteran Doug Lemmons was one of the first to sign up for the trip. He spent 8 months in Vietnam as a senior medical adviser. Lemmons was awarded the Bronze Star for his service after being wounded while rendering medical aid.
"I was in a big firefight, and within three days after that, I was processing out over in Monterrey as a civilian," said Lemmons. "So I went from hot combat to civilian life in three days."
It was a tough transition. Lemmons says he spent 4 months in an intensive PTSD program before he was able to talk about his time in combat. It's a type of healing he knows all his fellow veterans need.
"They need to talk," said Lemmons, and according to Kern County Honor Flight volunteer Armando Soliz, that's why Honor Flight is so special.
"In many cases, there is a veteran who would have never gone to the Wall by himself or herself, but yet when you have that camaraderie behind you, when you have the strength of other veterans behind you, you can share the sorrow and pain with those other veterans and it is much easier to do," said Soliz.
Soliz has been on Honor Flight before and knows how being surrounded by others who understand this pain can be so powerful. He also knows not everyone can make the trip for a variety of reasons, including Lemmons.
"If I go higher than 18 feet or the third floor of a hotel, I have to go back down. I have a fear of flying now. My last big flight was coming from Vietnam in 1969," said Lemmon.
Now, the opportunity to give a piece of that Honor Flight experience to all veterans has presented itself.
"These are veterans who, due to medical issues: dialysis, treatment centers, medications, who can't make that flight for three days, so we are going to put them on a bus," said Soliz.
The replica Vietnam Wall is a three-fifths scale of the Vietnam Memorial in Washington D.C. It travels around the country to spread the Memorial's healing legacy, letting people visit their loved ones who may otherwise not be able to travel to Washington.
The 6 foot tall and 300 foot wide wall will be stopping in San Luis Obispo from March 16 through the 19th at the Madonna Inn Meadows.
Lemmons intends to use the opportunity to get some answers.
"I would like to be able to look up on the computer, or have somebody look up, the company I was with and find any information on the guys who I was with," said Lemmons.
Soliz says that the experience of visiting the Wall now that Vietnam Veterans like Lemmons have had ample time to process their experiences can support their healing process.
"There is 58,281 names on that Wall that can't take Honor Flight, that can't take the bus. Go over there and honor them," said Soliz.
The Honor Bus will make a one-day trip to San Luis Obispo on March 16, but the replica Wall itself will be on display from March 16 to March 19 for anyone who would like to make the trip on their own.
Family members of Honor Bus veterans are also welcome to accompany the trip by following along in their own cars when the Honor Bus makes its early morning departure from the Elks Lodge on 30th Street in Bakersfield. Anyone interested in registering for the March Honor Bus trip to San Luis Obispo can call Armando Soliz at 661-348-7071. Soliz says those interested will need to fill out an Honor Flight application and a copy of the DD214.
