The painting is one of Norman Rockwell’s most famous. “Homecoming, GI, 1945” was published as the cover of the Saturday Evening Post in May 1945, less than three weeks after the end of World War II in Europe. In it, a young American soldier stands outside a humble brick tenement in uniform, carrying his duffel bag, his back to the artist, while in front of him members of his ecstatic family – including his little dog – leap off their front porch to greet him. His sweetheart shyly stands off to the side, waiting to greet him.

He is theirs, and they are his, and he has come home. A son, a brother, a boyfriend, a hero. This was Rockwell’s America and all it stood for. A nation that valued family, patriotism, and service.

Today, in a country so deeply divided, where cynicism seems to outweigh optimism, it begs a question: Is this scene still America?

I am here to answer that question – despite the partisan bickering, despite the daily wave of tragedy and violence we see on the news, despite a culture that too often celebrates superficial and material achievement, despite all of these things – with a resounding yes. The values depicted in Rockwell’s “Homecoming” are indeed still what America is about.

Nowhere are these ideals expressed as poignantly as when a service member comes home to visit the loved ones he or she left behind to serve the cause of freedom. I am blessed to be part of an effort that has made homecomings like these possible for more than 500 soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines this year.

Several years ago, when my son Ronan was serving in the Marine Corps, I would pay for his flights home whenever he got leave so he could see his family. Like they do for so many of our brave men and women who serve their country, the visits home restored Ronan’s spirit, rested his body, and boosted his morale.

That’s why I was so saddened when he told me that many of his friends back at his base could not afford, and nor could their families, to pay for transportation home during leaves (the military does not provide transportation home for junior enlisted personnel).

The phrase I kept hearing in my head was “Moments that Matter.” These service members and their loved ones were being deprived of moments they should be sharing – holidays, birthdays, new babies, visits to sick family members. That made me think that the rest of us back home, who make up the nation that these young warriors love so much they are willing to risk their lives for, should step forward to fill that gap. I was determined to do something.

In 2024, with the help of a dear friend, I started Miles For Military, a non-profit that pays for flights home for junior servicemembers who otherwise wouldn’t be able to afford them. I thought we could amplify the impact of that concept even further. We decided that to earn the flights home, military members would have to donate their time to a charity of their choice. The charity the servicemember picks gets extra help, the people or cause served by that charity benefit, and the young man or woman making a sacrifice to serve their nation gets to go home to see family and friends. A win-win-win proposition.

Our cause has been warmly received, our mission widely acclaimed. I’m thankful that people love the concept, because we depend on their contributions to fund our mission. Miles For Military is eternally grateful to our many supporters, and to those who are considering new ways to back our brave fighting men and women, I humbly ask you to visit our site to learn more. We started small, but are growing up fast.

This season is our busiest time; this month alone will make sure 318 young men and women in uniform got home for the holidays.

We don’t do this alone. It takes the financial support of corporations and private citizens alike. This is the embodiment of a “whole of nation” approach to helping our military. They defend our freedom, and we help them and their families back at home however we can.

It’s worth remembering, especially this season, how much it means for a soldier to get home again to the people he loves. We vow to do whatever we can to make that happen, to recreate hundreds of real-life Rockwell scenes of parents and siblings and kids and, yes, dogs rushing out the door to greet their returning patriot.

It’s the least we can do.

Maureen Byrne, a Dorchester native, is the founder of Miles For Military. To learn more, visit www.milesformilitary.org.