I didn’t really eat the plane. More on that later. I was very blessed to be selected to go on the 14 May Honor Flight of Dubuque and the Tri-States.

“The mission of Honor Flight is to celebrate America’s veterans by inviting them to share in a day of honor at our nation’s memorials. The vision of Honor Flight is to see a nation where all of America’s veterans experience the honor, gratitude, and community of support they deserve.  Honor Flight Network is a national nonprofit organization comprised of 128 independent hubs working together to achieve the Honor Flight mission. Participation in an Honor Flight trip gives veterans the opportunity to share this momentous occasion with other comrades, remember the fallen, and share their stories and experiences with other veterans. Honored veterans always travel free of charge, thanks to generous donations to our organization. While initially focused on America’s World War II veterans, Honor Flight Network has expanded its mission to include those who served during the Korean War and the Vietnam War. The Honor Flight TLC program also honors veterans of any service era who are critically ill.” –honorflight.org

The honor we veterans received on 13 and 14 May was nothing short of incredible. The word ‘incredible” is even inadequate to describe the events of those two days. Of course, being at the memorials was special and so very powerful, but also wonderful were the many surprises along the way.

The event began on the evening of Monday, 13 May. Patty and I attended an Honor Flight Dinner designed to cover details of the next day, answer our questions, distribute our “uniform of the day” (a bright red t-shirt and windbreaker to help them keep track of us in Washington among other Honor Flight veterans), feed us, and entertain us with a local singing group. It was also time for each veteran to meet his or her “guardian” for the next day.

A guardian is a volunteer on the Honor Flight to keep watch over his/her assigned veterans, offering encouragement, support, and any needed assistance. I met Kelly. She was the guardian for two veterans, me and her 84-year-old Navy veteran father, Richard. It was great to get to know them.

Also present at the dinner were representatives from local organizations and schools. Our placemats for the dinner were made by local school kids. Mine was carefully colored by Tess, a 2^nd grader. All in all, an impressive evening demonstrating how generous and well-run the Dubuque Honor Flight Organization is.

Off to Washington, DC. It was a direct flight from Dubuque to Washington. While the plane was rolling down the tarmac in Washington, fire trucks were waiting with huge arcing water salutes. Once in the Dulles airport, we were greeted by dozens of school kids and their teachers, holding “welcome” and “thank you” signs. This was the first time I felt tears welling up. After the kids, we encountered adult volunteers carrying more signs. They were there to guide us through the airport, each offering heartfelt “Welcome Home” greetings. Those are special words to Vietnam-era veterans who were most decidedly not welcomed home. More tears.

Once aboard the buses, we were off to the Iwo Jima Marine Corps Memorial. Of course that is a special one for me. For years I thought that iconic flag-raising memorial featured simply life-size figures. Nope. That thing is huge. This memorial feels like home to me.

After a quick bus tour of the city, we were off to Arlington National Cemetery. This place is breathtaking. More than 400,000 veterans and dependents are buried there. A somber visit for sure. We drove near where Marine Colonel John Glenn is buried. He was a hero to me (and he sent me a “Happy Birthday” note for my 50^th birthday).

We next walked over to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier to see the Changing of the Guard. Even more somber. The Army Sentinels performed with such precision they looked more like machines than men. They do this ceremony 24 hours a day. In winter months, it’s every hour; in summer months it’s every half hour.

Next up was the World War II Memorial. Here we took our group photo. Just looking at the components of this memorial tells the story of WWII. From here, we parked the buses and began our longest walk of the day.

Here we saw the Lincoln Memorial, the Korean War Memorial, and then the Vietnam Memorial. It was the first time I’ve seen the Korean War Memorial. I found it to be almost haunting, featuring a squad of life-size statues of troops in full combat gear moving through a rice patty. The Vietnam Wall stands alone, so clearly presenting its message. While viewing so many names of those killed in action, the simplicity of the wall design makes it easy to feel deep sadness, remembering how horribly veterans were treated then.

Our last stop was the Air Force Memorial. The three very tall spires shoot up into the sky in a pattern to reflect the “missing man” formation. This memorial is on a hill overlooking the Pentagon. Here, another amazing thing happened. A class of older students and their teacher were also at the memorial. They figured out who we were and gave as a spontaneous ovation. More tears.

Back at the Dulles Airport, we were again greeted by those same volunteers we’d seen early that morning. And another group of students and other folks lining the walkways cheering for us.

Once on the plane, before takeoff, the young pilot came out of the cockpit. He said he was a recently retired Army helicopter pilot. He told us he was so excited to get the Honor Flight pilot assignment the day before. He said he felt honored to be our pilot. He then took a moment to speak to the Marines on board. Only a few of us. He commanded, “Marines, please do not eat my plane!” and “Marines, we go fly now!” I got a big kick out of this, stopping to tell him as I got off the plane that I didn’t eat much of his plane. This little interaction was meaningful, too.

During the flight there was another huge surprise. The leader of our flight went to front of the plane and yelled, “Mail call!” He then handed out large envelopes to each of us individually. In those envelopes were letters gathered (with the help of Patty for mine) from family and friends containing the writer’s thoughts about their veteran and this day. I can’t tell you how meaningful those letters were! I deeply appreciate those who took time to write a letter to me. Patty even saw to it that I got a letter from our dog Chip!

As we all read our mail, the plane was very quiet except for the sound of some sniffles. Though very un-Marine-like, I shed many tears. I felt honored extra-specially for sure. But the day wasn’t over.

As we got off the plane, there was yet another long row of folks there to welcome us back. We again had a motorcade from the Dubuque Airport back to the Grand River Center. Once there, we are all lined up behind a military band. The band played as the door was raised, leading us into a grand celebration! Our families and others had gathered there as a surprise to welcome us back.

If you know me at all, you are aware that I am incredibly proud to be a United States Marine Corps veteran. God greatly used this time in the Marines to change this young fatherless boy’s life. These days, when I wear my Marine cover (hat) or T-shirt, I am often thanked for my service. While I really appreciate that, I try to respond with “the honor was mine’ or something similar. This Honor Flight overwhelmed me with thanks and appreciation and made me grateful for our country. It truly was my honor to serve. I’ve always said I’d re-enlist if I could. I mean that. As others have said, “my oath of enlistment has no expiration date.”