Honoring our World War Veterans
By Jackie Boyce
I recently had the pleasure and honor of accompanying 28 World War II veterans to Washington DC with the Honor Flight organ-ization. We honored these veterans and what a day it was! Honor Flight (Honorflight.org) is a non-governmental charity working to take veterans to see the various war memorials in our nation’s capital.
Upon meeting at the East terminal at 4:00 AM, the veterans received their T-shirts and hats and met their ‘guardians’ (often a family member). We flew on Southwest (which donates the veterans’ tickets) to Baltimore, where we were greeted by fire trucks creating an honor arch with the streams from their hoses. Inside the airport, other air travelers welcomed the veterans with applause and greetings. Many people approached the veterans to talk to them and thank them. Imagine the emotional reactions of a group of 82 – 98 year-old men and women--from joyful crying to stunned pride.
From there we took a bus tour of Washington with stops at these memorials: World War II, Korea, Iwo Jima, and Arlington National Cemetery (for the changing of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier). Then it was off to Baltimore for our return flight to St. Louis. On the way home MAIL CALL surprised the veterans. Each of them received a packet of letters from friends, family and school children. Emotions ran high as letters brought smiles to faces.
At the St Louis airport we were wel-comed with another fire truck arch, greetings from friends, family and honor flight volunteers, and a color-guard. At the closing ceremony, each veteran received a signed, framed certificate.
The day had been long (4:00 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.), emotion-packed, and very rewar-ding for all. These brave and wonderful veterans were honored in so many ways!
The Honor Flight charity plans to con-tinue honoring WWII vets. (There are 600 on the waiting list in the St Louis area alone). Then it will do the same for the veterans of Korea, Vietnam, etc. Although each guardian pays his/ her own way, the veterans pay nothing.
(Jackie accompanied her father, Bill White).
