Photo By Spc. Brian Didlake | One woman waves an American Flag as 109 female veterans return from Florida's first...... read more read more
A historic all-women’s Honor flight returns to Sanford International airport after completing it’s mission to spread more awareness in how women impact the military.
“Welcome home everyone!” exclaims a small crowd gather in the departure lobby of Sanford’s airport Wednesday night.
109 female veterans from all military branches returned from Washington D.C. as a part of the Villages Honor Flight program.
The mission has been two years in the making after the Tri-County Women veterans made the request for the all-women’s honor flight but was delayed due to the Coronavirus pandemic.
"We waited a long time for this flight,” said Liza Walters who is the flight director with the Villages Honor Flight program.
She says the overnight mission was a success and will go down as the first all-female honor flight in State of Florida.
This is a unique honor flight according to Walters who says most flights are on a 24-hour basis, but this time the women stayed overnight.
The trip included visits to the National Museum of the United States Navy, the United States Air Force Memorial, the World War II Memorial, Arlington National Cemetery, and the Women in Military Service for America Memorial.
Walters says she hopes more people will get to see the value women have had on the military.
"It's a shame,” Walters said, “Women have been overlooked and they haven't been appreciated and acknowledged. What we hope is to you know make everyone aware of the tremendous service that women do."
As all the women make their way down the airport escalator and is greeted by the sound of bag pipes one woman is sits in awe of the moment.
“It’s about time!” said 97-year-old Ruth Jones, she served in the Army Women’s Auxiliary Core during World War Two.
"I was a surgical technician in the medics,” said Ruth, “I worked on the Army Wards and did what nurses do. Of course, the war was coming to a conclusion when I was there. They started closing the hospitals because the wounded were not as great as they had been, so as soon as they got enough to where they were not filling the wards anymore, they closed the hospital and send you to another. I went to four hospitals.”
Jones and others who attended the honor flight say they are proud to have paved the way for more female soldiers.
"I'd like people to know that women contributed a lot, they were a vital part of the service,” said Jones.
Combined together there is about 1,840 years of service being represented on the trip, each veteran sharing their own story.
“I never looked at my service as I am a female soldier,” said Army Major General Retired JoAnn Sheridan, “I was a soldier just like all my other soldiers and I just performed that service that best that I could do. I hope my soldiers looked up and saw a good example.”
Other female veterans say they hope the news of this trip will inspire more women to join.
Barbra Kyle who served in the Marines said, "When I say the pledge of allegiance, I feel it...when I sing our star spangled banner I fell it. It's a great feeling, and I hope more women join so the legacy we built so far can continue.”
| Date Taken: | 06.01.2022 |
| Date Posted: | 06.06.2022 11:19 |
| Story ID: | 422255 |
| Location: | SANFORD, FL, US |
| Web Views: | 152 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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