MOUND, La. — In the first Star Wars movie, “A New Hope,” Hans Solo’s ship The Millennium Falcon was the vehicle that saved Princess Leia, Luke Skywalker and the droids from the clutches of the Empire.

In the real world and present time, the Millennium Phenom 100 is providing an equally valuable service by providing airlifts to post 9/11 and World War II veterans.

Decorated with a Star Wars design, the Millennium Phenom is a six-passenger Embraer Phenom 100 executive jet owned by Mark Holt. It can’t make light speed, but it can travel at 385 mph. Its signature emblem is an airbrushed Millennium Falcon on its tail.

Holt, who landed the Phenom at the Vicksburg-Tallulah Airport to bring Afghanistan vet Brian Boone to hunt wild pigs as part of a Warrior Bonfire event, said the decision to dedicate his plane to serving veterans came after selling his agricultural nutrition company to Arm & Hammer Co. in 2014.

“When we sold my business, the company that bought me out didn’t want to keep the airplane, and because it is the pinnacle of my flying career, I didn’t want to give up the jet, and I didn’t want to be self-serving,” he said.

Before selling the business, Holt was at a National Business Aviation Association conference in Las Vegas, where he met Walt Fricke, founder and chairman of the Veterans Airlift Command, a nonprofit organization that provides free flights for post 9/11 Purple Heart veterans and World War II veterans.

“After I sold the business I told my wife, ‘I’m definitely going to repurpose our jet, we’re going to repaint it, and we’re going to provide service for Veterans Airlift. We dedicated 100 percent of our airplane, airplane costs, my time and my wife’s time for providing lifts for veterans.”

The Millennium Phenom was introduced at the annual Experimental Aircraft Association show in Oshkosh, Wisc., in August 2015. The first airlift was the following September from Dallas. Since he began the flights, Holt has made 30 flights. No. 30 was flying Boone, an amputee and a retired Army staff sergeant who lives in San Antonio, Texas, to the Warrior Bonfire hunting trip and to renew a friendship with bonfire program founder Dan Fordice.

Boone said seeing the Phenom leaves him in awe. “It just kind of blows you away.”

Meeting the pilots of the Veterans Airlift Command, Boone said, “Is awesome. Being able to meet the pilots and just talk with these guys and just get to know them. I don’t look at it as they’re really serving me, I just look at it as just helping each other out. I feel like they’re helping us out more than anything. Being up in the sky, up in the air is cool; it’s whole different feeling. It’s hard to describe.”

Holt said the idea for the Star Wars’ theme came from a dark blue-gray-dark blue color scheme on a Navy F-18 Hornet he saw at an air show in Miramar, Calif.

“I liked the camo breakup, so I went with black, gray and black. Once I had the basic part figured out, I wanted a stripe put on it (but) I couldn’t figure it out. I wanted someone to be creative.”

He said friends told him to call John Stahr with a company called Artistic Aviation.

Holt said he wanted a pseudo military paint scheme for the plane, and Stahr responded, “Mark, don’t you think these veterans you’re transporting have had too much seriousness? These are young men; don’t you think they want to have some fun?”

Holt put the project in Stahr’s hands and told him, “Call me when you’re done.”

Since the work was completed on the Phenom, the plane has been featured in magazines and has been a recruiting tool at air shows to get more pilots interested in participating in the Veterans Airlift program.

“I always say, ‘We don’t need any more wounded veterans, we just need more planes and pilots.’”

He said flying the veterans is an honor.

“I can’t tell you the feeling. These guys are so appreciative; they’re always thanking me and in turn I’m thanking them. I didn’t serve, but I’ve always felt I left something on the table as far as serving, so now I’m in a position to serve those who served us. It’s a true honor,” Holt said.