Honor Flight

Both of my parents served in WWII. My mom was in the Navy for two years and my dad was in the Coast Guard for 21 years. Our son was in the Army for twenty one years and was deployed three times to Iraq and Afghanistan as a cardiac surgeon. This past Saturday we were so happy to see our friends from the Midwest who traveled to DC on an honor flight. The brothers were colleagues of ours and both served during the Viet Nam time period. One was in the Air Force and the other was in the Coast Guard. What better day than Veterans Day to honor them all. It was quite a day for them and their sons who served as their sponsors. We hadn’t seen them since our last trip to the Midwest two years ago so it was a treat to see someone familiar! We met them on a beautiful day at the WWII Memorial, and then walked about the reflecting pool, the Viet Nam Memorial, and back to the Lincoln Memorial. The area was packed with visitors but the veterans stood out in their red and blue jackets. They had a full day of activities that started at 3 in the morning and they arrived back home later in the evening - greeted by their families, marching band, and honor flight participants who cheered them on with a huge thank you and welcome home. We were so glad we were a part of the celebration and appreciate the sacrifices they all made. Everyone knows someone who served in the military. It’s nice to be remembered for it.