DUBLIN, Ga. — The Carl Vinson VA Medical Center is planning to take a dozen or so veterans to the Thunder Over Georgia Air Show at Robins Air Force Base this weekend.
John Hamrick is just one of the guys going on the trip.
"And then it was off to Vietnam. That was another eye opening experience, because 'ole Georgia boy hadn't been out of the state much, and here I was going to Vietnam," Hamrick said.
72-year-old Hamrick spent his early twenties fighting in the Vietnam War as a chopper pilot.
"They assigned me to the 173rd Assault Helicopter Company," he said
Many of his memories are stored in a photo album. He was on the front lines, running dangerous missions as a chief warrant officer.
"We flew troops in and pulled them out, and I've gone under fire, and we've gone in when we picked them up hot and shooting coming out," he said.
It was hard times, but even in war Hamrick found a sort of peace in the sky.
"Well to me on a day like today, to get up there with few clouds, I feel like there were times when I could reach out and touch the face of God. It was just that beautiful," he said with a smile.
John says he came back from Vietnam with numerous medals, one of them for Valor. He took that experience, went back to school, and then became an air traffic controller.
"Military planes coming in and out, a lot of the commercial jets, and all we would have, I worked on probably 30 airplanes on the frequency at one time, but I enjoyed the job," he said.
With all of those hours in and around planes, you can imagine Hamrick is looking forward to this year's Air Show.
He says he's attended a few others, and every time he's amazed.
"The last time I went to it, I love being a part of that, I love being part of the military," he said. "I'm looking forward to seeing some of the new airplanes I haven't seen up close, I want to see some of those, it's just exciting."
For this military man that served his country, there is something else he'll feel when the modern planes roar through the sky: pride.
"I bleed red, white, and blue, and when they're flying, I know why they're flying. That's for freedom, and I appreciate that," Hamrick said.
The Thunder Over Georgia Air Show takes place September 28 and 29. Click here for more information.
MORE STORIES ABOUT THE AIR SHOW
STAY ALERT | Download our FREE app now to receive breaking news and weather alerts. You can find the app on the Apple Store and Google Play.
STAY UPDATED | Click here to subscribe to our Midday Minute newsletter and receive the latest headlines and information in your inbox every day.
Have a news tip? Email news@13wmaz.com, or visit our Facebook page.