Honor Flight
But with Memorial Day fast approaching, I thought this would be a good time to shine the spotlight on an older generation, and share the story of an amazing recent experience.
Last month, I had the privilege to travel with my father to Washington, DC as part of the Honor Flight Network, “a non-profit organization created solely to honor America’s veterans for all their sacrifices.” Veterans are giving the chance to travel to Washington to visit the memorials that honor their service. World War II veterans, such as my father Bill Springer, are given priority.
The entire day was filled with love and gratitude from so many people in both Chicago and Washington D.C.. We visited the Iwo Jima Memorial (in fact, my dad was on Iwo Jima just a few months after the raising of the flag), the World War II Memorial, which included a posting of colors in honor of the 100 veterans on our flight. We also visited the Udvar-Hazy Center, the annex of the Air and Space museum in Virginia, where they have dozens of planes including the B-29, which is what my dad worked on as during the war. When we returned to Midway, there were hundreds of firemen, soldiers, sailors, veterans and family members lining the path throughout the terminal.
It was a wonderful experience for everyone involved. The Honor Flight Network truly understands the emotion behind this incredibly special day. What a wonderful way to honor our veterans who have sacrificed so much for our country.
