A group of 27 Black Veterans and their chaperones took part in an inaugural Honor Flight to Washington to commemorate Juneteenth. (Photo: Honor Flight of Conveyers)

A group of 27 Black Veterans, accompanied by family members serving as chaperones, set out on the first-ever honor flight to commemorate Juneteenth by visiting war memorials and monuments in the Washington, D.C., area.

Under the hot sun, these Veterans, many in their 70s and 80s, undertook a daylong tour that included Arlington National Cemetery, the World War II Memorial, and the Lincoln Memorial. This all-expenses-paid trip was organized by the Honor Flight Network, a nonprofit that has facilitated trips for nearly 300,000 Veterans to Washington, D.C., since 2005.

The Veterans flew from Atlanta to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport early Wednesday, greeted by a water cannon salute as their plane taxied to the gate. They then boarded two commercial buses for a full day of activities. The Honor Flight Network recognizes the service of U.S. Veterans, many of whom are aging, through tours of national memorials.

“Black Veterans were charged with defending our nation while also battling societal limitations. This trip showcases their extraordinary courage and demonstrates gratitude for their tremendous service,” stated the Honor Flight Network.

At 101 years old, the oldest participant was Calvin Kemp, a World War II Navy Veteran from Georgia. Kemp and others observed the changing of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, an event covered by several local TV stations.

Every year on June 19, people celebrate Juneteenth, also known as Freedom Day, Emancipation Day, or America’s second Independence Day, honoring the day in 1865 when the Emancipation Proclamation brought freedom to the last slaves in the southern United States. Although President Abraham Lincoln had signed the proclamation on January 1, 1863, it could not be enforced in Confederate territories until Union forces achieved victory in 1865. In Texas, the westernmost Confederate state, news of emancipation arrived on June 19, 1865, when Union soldiers reached Galveston Bay and announced that all enslaved people in the state were free.

While the Emancipation Proclamation set the stage for the end of slavery, it was the 13th Amendment, passed by Congress and ratified in December 1865, that officially abolished slavery nationwide. Different U.S. communities have historically celebrated Emancipation Day on various dates, reflecting the staggered spread of emancipation news across the Confederacy.

For more than a century, many Americans have celebrated Juneteenth. In 2021, the day became a federally recognized holiday after a bill to establish Juneteenth National Independence Day as a legal public holiday passed almost unanimously through Congress. The bill was signed by President Biden on June 18, 2021, marking Juneteenth the first new national holiday in the United States since Martin Luther King Jr. Day was established in 1983.

“All Americans can feel the power of this day and learn from our history,” said President Biden at a White House ceremony. 

Opal Lee, a Texas native, activist, and educator known as the “grandmother of Juneteenth,” played a significant role in making Juneteenth a federal holiday by delivering 1.5 million signatures to Congress.

“People think it’s a Black thing when it’s not. It’s not a Texas thing. Juneteenth means freedom, and I mean for everybody,” Lee said.

Author: Rikki Almanza

Rikki is a Web Content Coordinator for the American Legion, Department of California. With a deep-rooted connection to the military, a spouse who is a Navy veteran, a father who served in the Air Force for 25 years, and a grandfather who proudly served, Rikki is committed to using her skills and knowledge to provide valuable assistance and resources to servicemembers and veterans.