Photo By Spc. Brianna Kearney | The Joint Armed Forces Color Guard from the Military District of Washington...... read more read more
WASHINGTON – The Honor Flight Network flew United States Military Veterans to our nation’s capital to visit the national war memorials on May 16 and 30, 2015. The Honor Flight Network is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing veterans with closure by transporting them to see the memorials dedicated to the conflicts they served in.
The Honor Flight Network brings veterans to the memorials regularly, but there were two special weekends, called Super Saturdays, when the number of tours peak. Over the two weekends, dozens of service members, civilians and their families greeted a total of 1,460 veterans throughout the day as they got off the buses and made their way into the WWII memorial. Air Force Lt. Col. Tom Esser, Pentagon Air Force services, was one of the active duty service members who volunteered to meet and greet the veterans throughout the day.
“I think we get more out of it being here with our veterans,” Esser said, “It makes us realize where we came from and why we’re here today.”
Esser had the opportunity to meet veterans from across the nation, to shake their hands and personally thank them for their service to the country. He spoke to a WWII Army Air Corps veteran whose stories about service and commitment to the nation left a lasting impact that allows him the opportunity to serve today.
According to the Honor Flight Network, Earl Morse, a physician assistant and retired Air Force captain, first conceived the program after the memorial was built in 2004.
After retiring, he worked as a physician assistant at the Department of Veterans Affairs. Earl was also a private pilot. He realized that many of his veteran patients would never have the chance to see their memorial honoring comrades who paid the ultimate sacrifice.
In December of 2004, Earl asked one of his WWII veteran patients if he could personally fly him out to D.C. He graciously accepted the offer. The two flew to the memorial and the Honor Flight program was born.
By the end of 2005, Earl and 11 of his pilot buddies individually flew a total of twelve WWII veterans to D.C., free of charge. Once on the ground the pilots escorted the veterans around the memorial. Later that year, veterans from across the nation contacted the organization requesting the opportunity to see memorials from their military histories. The requests were so high that they transitioned to using commercial airplanes in order to expand their program to cities across the nation. This was a journey of firsts for many of the veterans.
Navy WWII Veteran Dick May, from Brownsville, Oregon, never had the opportunity to see the memorial commemorating his actions. May’s experience with the Honor Flight not only allowed him to finally view the memorial dedicated to him and his fellow service members, but also gave him the opportunity to fly in an airplane for the first time.
“It’s inspiring and I’m just grateful that I’m here,” May said, “I didn’t think I’d ever get to see it.”
May said he felt honored to be surrounded by his fellow service members and civilians who volunteered to show their support. Jenny Brawley, from Vienna, Virginia, was one of the people who volunteered to entertain as a way to thank the veterans. Brawley was dressed up as Rosie the Riveter and danced with the veterans to music from the 1940’s inside the memorial.
Despite her service to the country, Army nurse and WWII Veteran Allie Reed, from Jeffersonville, Indiana, also had never seen the WWII memorial. The Honor Flight gave her the chance to finally see the memorial for the war she’d fought more than 70 years ago. Reed described the memorial as amazing; however, she was more surprised by the numerous volunteers who were there to greet and thank all the veterans.
“I can’t believe all the people and how courteous they are,” Reed said. “The greetings from the airport and everywhere along the way have been very friendly. I really appreciate that.”
Many people volunteer to give the veterans a warm and memorable welcome. They come as greeters, lining the WWII Memorial entryway, applauding and cheering, to show their appreciation. Some come to personally thank the veterans face-to-face and shake their hand. Others volunteer as era re-enactors and dancers, who bring added entertainment.
“I’m not always dressed as Rosie the Riveter, but we always wear 1940’s outfits,” Brawley said, “Rosie is very popular!”
Brawley has been volunteering with her dance team for the DCA Honor Flight for the past two years. She said seeing the smiles on the veterans’ faces takes them back and tell her how much they enjoy their dancing because it brings everyone together.
Not only does the Honor Flight take the veterans to the memorials, but it also brings them a feeling of camaraderie. They get to share their stories and reminisce about the past with people who experienced the same things.
This was the second Honor Flight for Marine Corps Vietnam Veteran Ronald French, from Maysville, Kentucky. He said that he was proud to serve his country and that he never gets tired of seeing the memorial. He described being surrounded by his fellow service members as a humbling experience.
“You feel like family anytime you’re around people that were in the military,” French said, “It doesn’t matter what branch or rank you were, that all goes out the window. When you’re there together, you’re family.”
| Date Taken: | 05.16.2015 |
| Date Posted: | 08.07.2015 13:40 |
| Story ID: | 172488 |
| Location: | WASHINGTON, DC, US |
| Web Views: | 75 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Honoring America’s Heroes, veterans visit their national memorials, by SPC Brianna Kearney, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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