Honor to Whom Honor is Due

On September 13, 2014, in the chilly Wisconsin pre-dawn, a group of WWII and Korean War veterans gathered at Dane County Airport in Madison, Wisconsin, and boarded a plane bound for Reagan International in Washington, D.C. When they landed in D.C., they were greeted by a band, balloons, and a cheering crowd that included Boy Scouts, civilians, and members from all the armed services waiting to shake their hands as they came off the jetway.

They boarded special buses which were accompanied by a police escort. Traffic was stopped to let them pass as they drove from memorial to memorial on a whirlwind tour of our nation's Capitol.

Here they are at the Iwo Jima Memorial:

The one in the white cap is my dad.

The flight was organised and sponsored by Badger Honor Flight, a regional affiliate of the national Honor Flight Network. If you've never heard of an Honor Flight, here is a quote from the website:

The purpose of the Honor Flight Network is to ensure that WWII and terminally ill veterans from any war have the opportunity to see the memorials that have been erected in their honor. The Honor Flight Network provides all amenities to the veterans, including all transportation, meals and lodging. Everything is free to the veterans because of how much they have sacrificed for this great country already.

Dad, who is a veteran of both WWII and the Korean War, was able to participate in this grand event thanks to the tireless efforts of my nephew P ("Nevvy"), who started the application process and followed through on all the necessary steps involved. Nevvy also flew to Wisconsin to act as Dad's "guardian" on the long day's trip. (Each veteran on an Honor Flight is accompanied by a guardian who acts as a helper. Some guardians are volunteers, and some are family members, but all guardians pay their own way.)

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Here are some photos from that amazing day in D.C.

The crowd at Reagan International Airport, waiting for the Honor Flight to arrive:

Photo courtesy of Badger Honor Flight

A veteran posing with the Parks Police escort:

Photo courtesy of Badger Honor Flight

Nevvy and Dad at the WWII Memorial:

The sombre and eerie Korean War Memorial:

"Freedom is Not Free":

In one day, the group of veterans and guardians visited Arlington National Cemetery, the Iwo Jima Memorial, the Lincoln Memorial, the WWII Memorial, the Korean War Memorial, the Vietnam Memorial, the Air Force Memorial, the Mall, and the Washington Monument. At the end of the long day, they boarded the plane for home.

On the flight back they were treated to a "mail call", when each veteran was given a batch of letters and cards collected in advance from family members, friends, school children, and members of Congress, thanking them for their service.

Meanwhile, at the Madison airport, a crowd had been gathering for hours, waiting to welcome the veterans home.

This is what the veterans saw as they came down the escalator or elevator:

Photo courtesy of Badger Honor Flight

It was 10 o'clock at night, and thousands of people, young and old, filled the terminal from end to end. Many of them were waving signs that read "Welcome Home". All of them were cheering and clapping.

The veterans walked (or were wheeled) down the long aisle between the packed crowds, while a band played one service tune after another. All down the terminal, as the veterans passed, people would lean out to say "Thank you," and to shake their hands.

Every veteran deserves a homecoming like this.

Here is to all the veterans who have given their time, their youth, their health, their limbs, and their lives, to defend the helpless of other lands, and to protect the land of our birth.

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Thank you, Badger Honor Flight, for giving these veterans such a memorable day.

Thank you, volunteers and service members, in Madison and D.C., for showing up at the airports to cheer our veterans.

Thank you, Nevvy, for all the work you did to get Dad included in this flight.

And thank you, Dad, for serving.

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