From combat to closure: Honor Flight recruiting Black veterans for trips

MILWAUKEE - The Stars and Stripes Honor Flight is preparing for its 2026 season and organizers say they are making a renewed effort to recruit more Black veterans to get on board for the journey.

What we know:

The organization flies local veterans to Washington, D.C., to visit the memorials built in their honor. The one-day experience is free.

Local perspective:

Vietnam veteran Al Flowers, of Milwaukee, says the trip changed his life. When he looks at photos from his service in the United States Marine Corps, Flowers barely recognizes the 17-year-old who enlisted in 1968.

"This is me in Vietnam, I was in the Marine Corps, recon, special operations group," said Flowers. "Our job was to gather intelligence and do threat assessments for the other units."

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After a few months working as a radio operator, Flowers learned he would be sent into combat.

"They assigned me to recon and my heart dropped, I just knew my life was over," said Flowers. "I wrote my sister and told her I didn't want to kill anyone."

Flowers said the psychological toll of war followed him home.

"I was the one on the radio, when I would tell them to fire and see the results of that, it began to harden me, seeing that carnage," he said. "You play these tapes over and over in your head, corrupted tapes, and it's hard to get through it."

By the numbers:

Upon his return to the United States, Flowers was diagnosed with posttraumatic stress disorder. According to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, about 22% of deployed Black veterans experience PTSD, compared to 14% of white veterans.

During the Vietnam War, African American soldiers made up about 11% of total troops but accounted for 23% of combat troops and 20% of combat fatalities.

"The military is like any other organization, it's a microcosm of the larger society," said Flowers. "I think there was an author who wrote one time, 'The sons of poor men will always be foot soldiers,' and I was a poor kid so I ended up being a foot soldier." 

This harsh reality is one of the reasons leaders of the Stars and Stripes Honor Flight have had a hard time recruiting Black veterans for their trips.

"I think those emotions are still pretty fresh. Even though it was 50 years ago, they buried that," said Karyn Roelke, president of the Stars and Stripes Honor Flight. "I think some vets are worried about the feelings it may bring up."

Of the more than 11,000 veterans who have taken the trip, less than 5% are African American.

What they're saying:

"We want to make sure that every vet gets their time, every vet knows that they’re special, and they’re honored, and they’re remembered," said Roelke. "Every vet needs their closure."

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Flowers said he was hesitant at first, but the trip became a turning point.

Never in a million years was he expecting to feel so healed. From finding the names of dear brothers lost on the wall, to hearing the warm reception of supporters at the airport and opening letters thanking him for his sacrifice, the jam-packed day culminated in an inflection point.

"That was the first time I was able to just let my emotions come out. I had to keep that stuff bottled in. I relaxed and I finally cried for the Vietnam thing," said Flowers. "I feel warm now just thinking about it, honestly."

Years later, Flowers has become an unofficial ambassador for the Stars and Stripes Honor Flight, sharing the significance that one day had on his entire life with the Black veteran community and beyond.

"Ever since I did that Honor Flight, I feel reborn," said Flowers.

What you can do:

Organizers say there is currently a six-month wait list for Vietnam veterans, unless there is a medical urgency. Korean and World War II veterans receive priority placement.

Veterans interested in applying can visit starsandstripeshonorflight.org.