This is an incredible organization!
So many have been able to go to
Washington DC and see the Memorials.
The first year in 2005 just over 100
veterans went, last year over 22,000
veterans made the Honor Flight trips!
I believe they have made the trip
available to over 60,000 veterans
to date.
Luckily, we were able to take my
parents to the dedication in 2001
(??).
It was a great trip and the dedication
was an amazing experience. They
rolled out the red carpet that
weekend for the WWII vets and their
families. Nothing could have gone
smoother, the organization behind
that event was amazing!
Complete strangers came together
that weekend. People of all ages
walked up to the veterans, shook
their hands and thanked them for
their service; there were tears
everywhere.
That weekend also happened to be
the Rolling Thunder in DC - tens
of thousands (100s of thousands
maybe?) of motorcycles ride from
the Pentagon, across the Potomac,
down around the Mall in honor of
Vietnam Vets. The roar is
incredible - certainly sounded
like Rolling Thunder.
The bikers, mostly long haired,
leather clad and tattooed, would
walk right up to a WWII vet,
usually men in their 80s, and
hug them with both men crying
just standing there crying. The
respect between those very different
generations was incredible.
My father got to ride a Harley that
weekend - one of the bikers took a
liking to him and said "come on" and
offffff they went. I thought my mother
was gonna pass out right then and there :)
I have some of the best memories of
that weekend with my parents and an
a WWII buddy of Dad's we met up with for
the weekend and of course some great
pictures I'll have to post here.
Over 1,000 WWII vets are passing from
this earth each day and very few
actually are alive at this point.
The Honor Flight has provided many
the opportunity to see the memorial
dedicated to them -- at no cost to
them!!
It is an incredible organization
and one I am proud to donate to
their cause to allow any veteran
the opportunity.
“We can’t all be heroes. Some of
us have to stand on the curb and
clap as they go by.” - Will Rogers