Payson Veterans Home hosts virtual flight honoring Vietnam veterans

If there were ever a soundtrack to service, the sound of bagpipes and drums would be a fitting choice.

PAYSON — If there were ever a soundtrack to service, the sound of bagpipes and drums would be a fitting choice.

On Saturday afternoon, that music echoed through the halls of the Bennion Veterans Home in Payson, setting the tone for the beginning of a special event honoring nearly 100 veterans.

For Vietnam veteran Herbert Parr, the recognition meant more than words could express.

“Makes me feel good that we’re not forgotten,” Parr said.

Sign thanks Payson veterans. (Mark Less, KSL TV)

Parr, like many Vietnam veterans, remembers how difficult it was to return home from war.

“They spit at us. They cussed at us. Called us baby-killers,” Parr said.

His story is not unique. Many Vietnam veterans faced hostility and rejection upon their return.

“When we came home, they were throwing rocks at us, spitting at us, kicking us. One guy even slapped me,” said Vietnam veteran Henry Gerjets.

But on this day, the only hands raised were for clapping.

Utah Honor Flight, a nonprofit that normally flies veterans to Washington, D.C. to visit the memorials dedicated to the service of veterans, hosted a special “virtual flight” for those who are no longer able to make the trip.

“Our intent is to honor them for their service and recognize them,” said Ron Ulberg, Vice Chairman of Utah Honor Flight.

The veterans were given honorary airplane tickets before watching a presentation filled with videos and images of the nation’s war memorials, along with historical background on each one.

Veterans watch a presentation of pictures and videos of US war memorials. (Mark Less, KSL TV)

The goal of the event was to give the veterans a sense of the experience they would have had in person.

For Parr, a trip to D.C. would have been meaningful, but his health prevents him from traveling.

“It would be nice, but I can’t. I have problems with walking,” he said.

That’s why Utah Honor Flight made sure the honor came to him.

“It’s important to me to help them know how special they are and that their service counts and it matters,” Ulberg said.

It may not have been the National Mall, but for these veterans, the appreciation and gratitude they received in that room meant everything.

“We fought for our freedom and the freedom of our country,” Parr said. “To make it good and do our job.”