Early Saturday morning, September 17, the Honor Flight Central Florida prepared to honor 25 men and women who served in World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War by flying them to Washington DC to thank them for their service.
Honor Flight Central serves Veterans in the community by flying them to Washington, D.C. to see the memorials a grateful nation has built in their honor at no charge to the veterans. Guardian donors accompany veterans on this one-day trip at their own expense. This covers the cost of the Honor Flight-related expenses and provides them the privilege of accompanying one of the hometown heroes for the day on the national mall.
David Peck, a Viet Nam vet now living in Clermont, journaled his day in Washington DC.
“My alarm sounded reveille at 3:15 am. I met my guardian at 4:00 am and the two of us set off for the airport. We got to Orlando International Airport by 5:00 am, parked the car, and met the assembling honorees and staffers for the flight to BWI airport (Baltimore).
The logistics were amazing, with 25 wheelchairs, oxygen tanks, medics,
and breakfast. We met the TSA in a separate area, and passed through
without any problems.
As we disembarked, we were greeted by applause from two lines of well-wishers.
The awaiting buses took us first to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.
It was a wonderful experience seeing the Changing of the Guard and the new
amphitheater. An off-duty guard briefed us about all their traditions and
our group photo was taken. Then, off we went to the new Museum for Women in the Military.
Our drive through Arlington Cemetery was somber, over 400,000 graves. It’s quite an honor knowing that all of us on the buses will be welcomed there for our eternal sleep.
The next part of the trip was the visit to the Iwo Jima Marine Corps monument. One of our honorees was there when that flag was raised. He’s 102 years old now and remembers that they staged the second try with a larger flag for the photo op and noted that three of the six marines involved were killed there.
We then visited the Air Force monument, which when seen from the highway looks like a tulip. When one is at the base of the park, looking up makes you dizzy and you almost fall backward. It is extraordinary!
Driving to the Mall, we passed the Pentagon and saw where the plane crashed on 9/11. I cried remembering my friend, Vice Admiral Bud Flag, who was on the plane with his wife, returning to Dallas after a ceremony at Annapolis, where he had graduated (Class of 1961)
We started our two-hour walking tour at the WW2 Monument. What a treasure!
This is where the honor flight phenomenon started. Kilroy was there and
he will always be there! The monument is extraordinary, a huge oval with fountains
in the middle. All 50 states have obelisks around the rim. two ends for the two wars,
Europe and Pacific Theatres, two wars that the US won. Magnificent.
The walk around the mall included the Vietnam Monument, the Three Nurse
and Three Soldier statues. We lost that war: 59,000 names on the wall.
The Korea Monument was etched with the names of the heroes on the wall. If you squint, the soldiers looked real and moving toward the enemy line. 36,000 soldiers were lost, many from freezing.
We closed our tour at the Lincoln Memorial. It was overwhelming. Hundreds of people
on the steps looking up over the mall to the Washington Monument and the Capitol.
Our bus trip back to BWI airport gave us last glimpses of the majesty of our Capital.
BWI is a new and mostly empty airport. Quite beautiful.
The real excitement of our flight day was the reception we received at the
Orlando airport. As we disembarked after midnight, over 100 well-wishers greeted us. There was a bagpipe player and Lady Liberty. As each of us was wheeled slowly through the gauntlet of admirers, there was lots of cheering and tears”.
Peck solemnly noted, “God bless all of our heroes who have sacrificed for our freedoms”.
To learn more or support this amazing all-volunteer organization, go to: https://honorflightcentralflorida.org.
Only $500 provides an American hero with this lifetime experience.
