Four Honor Flight groups (Cleveland,Chicago, Iowa, Missouri) came in as did two surprise buses from West Virginia and Pennsylvania who were transporting Veterans to the World War II Memorial but aren’t part of Honor Flight.  They will be able to download their pictures as well at the September 17, 2008 photo site.  Senator Harken of Iowa joined Senator Dole and there were probably 450 vets wandering around.  Mary Pettinato wrote me last night that they had a bugler along and hoped that would keep everyone in line…  Hah….”herding cats!!!” Jim Tayon of Franklin County Honor Flight must be on his fifth tour and Rick Williams was on his third and second of the week as he just been in yesterday with Nebraska.

The Air Force drill team was there again and again took the pressure off the main entrance as they performed flawlessly and they better as they are throwing around some heavy cutlery!!!

This is the second time in as many weeks that Iowa has been to the Memorial and the same is true of Senator Harken who joined Senator Dole in greeting the veterans.  Between Honor Flight buses and the other tours, the entry drive was blocked out to 17th Street and we did some tricky maneuvering with cabs and other vehicles to get everyone unloaded safely.

This was all practice for September 24th when over 500 veterans will be attending the World War II Memorial at the same time.  Should be quite the party!!  Just as Senator Dole was leaving, a young woman from a West Virginia independent group of vets asked if the Senator would step up on the bus and sure enough, he did.  “Dedicated, driven, determined and headstrong” all spring to mind when I think of Senator Dole. And he looks so neat standing out there in the hot sun.  I got a credit card at Brooks Brothers too and I still look like a photographer?

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