Wednesday, July 2, 2014

One last chance to honor them before they enter history

     Though all-too-well aware of how they themselves have aged, the vets have a tendency to think of their comrades as still young. One female vet worried about going on the trip, since the vast majority of participants are men. "She made it clear that she would dance but that was it," said Strobel. "I said I would defend her honor."
     Most have health issues. "We have veterans fly with us who can't walk, can't hear, can't see," Strobel said. Two doctors and eight nurses go on the trip. Each vet also has a companion when they get to D.C. "We're set up to deal with the issues of aging, to make sure each vet has a carefree and safe day," she said. "My role in this is to paint a picture for them, an accurate portrayal of what their day will look like."
     And what will that day be like?
     "It's the longest day you can imagine," Mary Pettinato, Honor Flight Chicago's CEO, said. It begins with the vets, some of whom haven't traveled in years, arriving at the airport, "scared to death."
     "The guys start waving at them, tapping their feet, posing for pictures," Pettinato said. "By the time we arrive in Washington and are met by 75 active-duty military, they're giggling, joking about how they could have landed the plane better."
     At Midway, there is a welcome home.
     "That's a bit of a surprise," Strobel said. "Quite a celebration - a couple thousand people are there. Bands play, flags fly. It's like a Fourth of July celebration on steroids.
     "To see these veterans, the humbleness," she said. "They're just shocked so many people are interested in them. They're not expecting anyone to be interested. They get on the plane and think it's over, and then they land. . . . One I will never forget, a gentleman said that this one day took away 60-plus years of pain and hurt he has been harboring. You can't quantify that. It just makes you want to find more of them, as many as you possibly can, to have this experience. It's clearly something very meaningful to them; they can't possibly understand until they do it."
     "It's the greatest day you can imagine," said Pettinato, who co-founded the chapter in 2008. "We consistently hear that the Honor Flight is the best day of their lives."
     "His day at home is very mundane," she said. "But on this day, he puts on a World War II veteran's hat and everywhere he goes, he's recognized and thanked. Some haven't been thanked for 70 years. Many, when the war ended, got off a ship, hitchhiked home and were told you need to get a job tomorrow. That's it. On this day, they realize what they did for our country so many years ago is truly appreciated."

1 comment:

  1. Love Honor Flight. When can we extend it to our Korean and Vietnam Vets?

