Homer Wilson has lived through a full century of American history, but one of his newest memories may be among his favorites. The 100-year-old World War II Navy veteran from Conroe, Texas, flew to Washington, D.C., with Honor Flight Houston and came home to an airport crowd waving flags, clapping and calling out “Welcome home!”
Asked to grade the reception, Wilson didn’t hold back. He rated it “105 out of 100,” according to Parade, which shared his story on Tuesday morning, the day before Veterans Day. Houston station KPRC 2 first reported on the trip.
A trip of a lifetime, in about 40 hours
Wilson traveled with Honor Flight Houston’s Flight 38, a trip that brings veterans to the nation’s capital to visit the memorials built to honor their service. His grandson, Austin Mitchell, went along as his companion.
Among the stops, two moments stood out to Wilson: the Changing of the Guard and the Iwo Jima Memorial. Both reminded him of the cost of war, KPRC 2 reported. Looking back on the whirlwind visit, he told the station, “In 40 hours you accomplish something that is just unbelievable.”
For Mitchell, sharing the journey with his grandfather was something he will not forget. He described it to reporters as a surreal experience.
The trip was part of KPRC 2’s “One More Thank You” initiative, organized with Honor Flight Houston, Energy Transfer and Houston Christian University.
From McComb to the Navy
Wilson grew up in McComb, Mississippi, a close-knit town he remembers as a place where neighbors looked out for one another and nobody worried much about locking their doors. Money was tight for nearly everyone, he recalled, so families didn’t feel the difference.
In 1943, in the middle of World War II, he joined the Navy after qualifying for the V-5 Naval Aviation program, which trained future naval aviators. He trained at Camp Shelby and was commissioned as an ensign.
The war ended before he could start flight school, and the program he had been preparing for was shut down. Wilson moved to inactive duty in 1945 and received his formal discharge in 1947, according to both reports.
Why Honor Flights matter
Honor Flight trips give veterans, many of them in their 80s, 90s and older, a chance to see the memorials dedicated to them, often for the first time, and to be thanked in person along the way. The airport welcomes, with families, volunteers and strangers lining the terminal, have become one of the most emotional parts of the experience.
The number of World War II veterans still living gets smaller every year, which is why groups like Honor Flight Houston are especially encouraging those veterans to sign up. The Houston group keeps a waiting list for future trips and accepts applications from veterans, KPRC 2 reported.
Why it matters for families
Stories like Wilson’s are a reminder that the people who lived through World War II are still among us, and that a simple thank-you still means a great deal. With Veterans Day on Wednesday, Nov. 11, families might:
- Ask an older relative or neighbor who served to share a memory, and write it down or record it.
- Make a card or note for a veteran at a local veterans home or VA center.
- Look up whether a local Honor Flight hub is collecting letters or volunteers for its next welcome home.
A century after his birth, Homer Wilson got a hero’s welcome, and by his own count it went five points past perfect. Upstormed News salutes him and every veteran this Veterans Day.
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Read more: Robert Smalls Steered a Ship to Freedom, Then Spent His Life Opening Doors
Is there a veteran in your family whose story you’d like to share?
Sources: KPRC 2 (Click2Houston), “At 100, Conroe WWII veteran returns from Honor Flight to a Houston welcome home” (November 9, 2026); Parade, “A 100-Year-Old Texas WWII Veteran Rated His Welcome Home ‘105 Out of 100′” (November 10, 2026)
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