Thomas Cooney stood at the base of the Washington Monument with a pad of paper and a renewed sense of pride in his military service while on the Honor Flight in April.

Drafted into the Air Force, he spent some time as an MP in Italy during the Vietnam War, honing that love for art.

“I've always dabbled in art. I like art,” Cooney said. I like to paint, sketch.”

Cooney said his Honor Flight from Syracuse was the most awesome experience he’d had as a veteran.

“Just flying down there seeing all the memorials see and all the other veterans who are with me,” he said.

The experience, welcome home, pomp & circumstance was night and day from decades ago.

“The first time I got home back in 1970, they didn't really greet us,” he said. “They didn't particularly like [us] because of the protest over the Vietnam War.”

A growing number of veterans who haven’t been on the flight are still adjusting and needing resources. Cooney takes art classes and so much more at nearby Clear Path for Veterans.

“I am working with a group from Syracuse that were in the Army, that are in the Marines, and that were in the Navy, and we all graduated together,” lonely said. “We meet up there on Wednesdays for canteen.”

The Chittenango locale is a hub for much more than a meal among friends once a week. National outreach manager Terry Finley led a tour of the property.

“Whether you're a veteran or not a veteran, when you come out here and especially during summer or spring and summer and fall, yeah, you feel at peace,” said Finley. “And then obviously talking to the staff and the people around it just, it makes feel people more comfortable.”

The center has training service animals, professional development and even some less traditional healing methods. So whether vets like Cooney need help with budgeting, honing a hobby or just having a place they always feel welcome, a community is helping with that.

“It means a lot to a veteran. It's here; we love it,” Cooney said.