Montgomery County native Jerry Combs tackled Saturday’s Honor Flight to Washington, D.C., with the same strength and courage he has displayed battling stage four pancreatic cancer, according to his family.
Despite his diagnosis, Combs, 75, insisted on walking as much of the D.C. grounds as he could rather than relying on a wheelchair, his daughter, Lindsay Combs Jones, said.
Combs, a 1968 graduate of Montgomery County High School, was drafted into service during the Vietnam War.
He served with the 101st Airborne Division known as the “Screaming Eagles”—and worked as a medic in a MASH unit, providing life-saving care under some of the most challenging conditions imaginable.
Jones said he was anxious to participate in Honor Flight Kentucky, which flies World War II, Korean and Vietnam War veterans to Washington, D.C., for a one-day, all-expenses-paid visit to the national memorials that are dedicated to honoring their service.
He left Lexington’s Bluegrass Airport at 5 a.m. and spent the day visiting war and service memorials, the Women in Military Service for America Memorial and Arlington National Cemetery, where four of the veterans in the group helped change out a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.
Jones admits the family was worried about how Combs would hold up over the course of the day, but he ended up having one of his best days since he was diagnosed with cancer in March.
Jones reflected on his journey, saying, “Watching my dad fight pancreatic cancer with the same quiet strength and determination he carried in Vietnam was incredibly powerful. He just doesn’t complain—he just keeps going. It makes me realize that the resilience he’s showing now is the same resilience that carried him through serving others in the middle of war. He’s always been our hero, but seeing him walk through this has made that even clearer.”
Jones said her father’s journey is one of bravery, both on the battlefield and at home, and stands as a testament to a life defined by service, perseverance and heart.
Combs returned home after the war and married his wife, Debbie Combs. He is the proud father of three children: sons Jason and Jarrod Combs, and daughter, Lindsay Combs Jones.
Combs now resides in Lexington.
The most rewarding part of the experience, Jones said, is that her father shared the family’s history of service and some of the challenges he faced in Vietnam. She said he was grateful for the opportunity the flight provided.
Combs went on to have a long career at Toyota in Georgetown.
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