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WASHINGTON (7News) — In June, a first-of-its-kind Honor Flight took off from Atlanta, carrying special heroes on a trip to Washington. This was a Juneteenth Honor Flight, specifically to honor African American heroes.

History shows African Americans have bravely served this country dating back to the Revolutionary War, but despite proudly serving in numerous conflicts, many did not win the battle over equality.

101-year-old Calvin Kemp knows this too well.

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“I was 19 years old, in a segregated society. Mad with the world, really. Mad with the United States…I was abused mentally not physically, mentally, less than a man. And I kind of lost my confidence,” said Kemp.

Despite his mistreatment, he proudly fought for this country in the Navy during World War II.

“I was at Okinawa when they dropped the big bomb, the one that stopped the war, really. Truman did that. He killed a lot of people but he saved a lot of lives,” said Kemp.

On Juneteenth, he joined a group of fellow veterans to honor their legacies. For some, long overdue.

“For African American veterans, a lot of time, their experiences are just a little different from everybody else’s,” said John McCaskill with the Honor Flight National Board of Directors. “It’s what Oliver Wendell Holmes called the incommunicable experience of war. Unless you’ve experienced what they’ve gone through, you’re not going to understand it even if they try to explain it to you. They couldn’t explain it to you in a language that you couldn’t understand.”

McCaskill said over the years, they’ve had trouble recruiting minorities to go on these trips. So organizers wanted to address this issue with a big trip and Juneteenth was the perfect opportunity.

“I hope these veterans leave here knowing how much we love them and also understanding the importance of the next generation seeing them being honored,” said McCaskill.

Being celebrated on Juneteenth showed these veterans how far America has come.

“When the Civil War was over, they didn’t even let the Blacks know that the war was over. So to be recognized and celebrate that this day is for them, to bring it almost full circle. We’ve got a ways to go but I’m happy and I’m honored,” said Vietnam veteran Ellsworth DeVeaux.

“I feel great about [this trip], it gave me some release,” said Kemp. “I cried over there today at that memorial when that boy blew taps. Looking at all those gravesites over there, those people died for me and you and I realize that.”

Having an honor flight on Juneteenth is quite symbolic and shows while it is important to recognize America’s unsavory history, it does show hope for a brighter future.

“I’m a believer in the past being in the past. You can’t live in the past. I’m satisfied with the young people just seeing what we have today, and respecting who we are today and where we headed tomorrow,” said Kemp.

Since 2005, the Honor Flight Network has provided all-expense paid trips for more than 300,000 veterans. And they’re always looking for more. If you or someone you know would be interested, click here.