Heroes Welcomed Home: How Comfort Dogs Make Honor Flights Extra Special

On a crisp morning at Milwaukee’s Mitchell Airport, WI, Mission 83 of the Stars and Stripes Honor Flight prepared for takeoff. Veterans and their guardians filled the terminal with quiet anticipation, some carrying nerves alongside their excitement.

That’s when Charity the Comfort Dog and her team arrived. With wagging tails, gentle eyes, and encouraging words, they met each veteran, offering a moment of calm before a day meant to honor and celebrate their service.

Later that evening, the returning veterans were met with a heartwarming sight: LCC K-9 Comfort Dogs Charity, Gethsemane, Mary, Sage, and Tobias lined the concourse, tails wagging and eyes bright. The veterans’ faces lit up instantly, many breaking into wide smiles as handlers welcomed them home. Each hero stopped to pet the dogs, a simple yet powerful gesture that conveyed gratitude, love, and remembrance. For many of these veterans, such a welcome is long overdue—some had never truly been thanked for their sacrifices.

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Across the country in Spokane, WA,  LCC K-9 Comfort Dog Isaac and his team were creating similar moments of connection on the Inland Northwest Honor Flight to Washington, D.C. Each trip brings a fresh group of veterans, many of whom meet Isaac for the first time. It doesn’t take long for Isaac to become the most popular “passenger” on board.

Isaac’s team joined Kezia’s team from Emmanuel, Baltimore, MD who walked alongside the veterans as they visited the memorial in DC

Veterans were drawn to his calm presence, opening up about their experiences, losses, and burdens they’ve carried for decades. One tearful gentleman shared his struggle to understand surviving the war while a friend did not. Through these stories, Isaac and his handlers provide more than comfort—they offer a bridge to healing, reminding veterans of purpose, love, and the care that surrounds them.

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The impact of these Comfort Dogs is unmistakable. As one Honor Flight board member shared, “Isaac is WONDERFUL on our Honor Flight trips! He is so in tune to emotions; it is magical to watch him slip in beside someone he can feel is in distress from their memories. Their hand just automatically reaches down to rub his ears. We love you, Isaac!”

Watch an interview  with team Isaac: Another Honor Flight departs from Spokane 

These missions go beyond flights or ceremonies—they are days of healing, gratitude, and emotional connection. Thanks to the devoted Comfort Dogs and their handlers, our nation’s heroes are being met with the recognition, love, and care they deserve.