Today, Honor Flight had three flights come in. I was just able to get down to the World War II Memorial to say hello and make some snaps. Jim McLaughlin brought a flight of Lone Eagles who joined a Cinncinati Group at the airport. With them were Thelma and Bob Worden and their son John. They met and married just prior to the end of the war and if marriage is meant to be “enduring”, they seem to be going for the gold!! Two hours later, two buses with 65 veterans from Kansas rolled in as did Senator Dole and Representative Jerry Moran of Western Kansas who shook hands and greeted the vets. The schoolchildren from Kansas put together a very nice ceremony with Senator Dole receiving a flag in memory of fallen comrades.

In all it was a touching beginning to a new year of Volunteerism on the Mall. The Cinncinati group was met by a contingent of young soldiers from Ft. Meade who had greeted them at the airport and accompanied them to the Mall. All of them ultimately will be stationed in Iraq and I know all our prayers go with them. A group of children from “People to People” treated the vets like Rock Stars and thanked all of the vets by shaking hands and expressing their appreciation. All of the images are available on the WWII Memorial Website where vets and their families can download the images for free.

Honor Flight is featured in Jewel of the Mall: World War II Memorial book.