It's a Greater Honor for Me

Inspirational song: Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy (The Andrews Sisters)

A few months ago, on an unusually cold May morning, Mr X and I went to stand along the interstate, hold flags, and wave at busloads of World War II and Korean War veterans as they left for an Honor Flight trip to Washington DC to tour the monuments and bond with other people who shared the same experiences. The whole morning meant a lot to me, and I anticipated the next opportunity to come out and cheer them on. This morning was that opportunity.

I had overextended my volunteer time and energy over the last month, so I didn't have the ability to show up and help pack the kit bags each veteran receives before the flight today. On the other hand, there was no reason I couldn't show up for the gathering to show support one more time. I picked up one of my good friends from Rotary, and we arrived at the tail end of a ceremony to commemorate the anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. From where we stood, we couldn't hear much of the speeches, but we had a good view of the proceedings. Like last May, there was a nearby Rotary chapter handing out large flags to people lined up, so I grabbed one to hold. We ran into another Rotarian when we arrived, who was a WWII vet himself, and had gone on one of these Honor Flights six years ago. He told us how wonderful it was. He said that when he was seventeen, he had tried to enlist in the Navy, but they turned him down for being too young. At eighteen, he joined the Army Air Corps, same as my grandfather, but unlike my grandfather who was one of the "fighting dentists," this Rotarian's first assignment was to play baseball for the Air Corps in Florida. How funny.

The weather for this trip was a far cry from the last time out. In May, it was on the verge of snowing, and the air was humid enough to bite through clothes. It was as perfect as it could be today, with mild temperatures and partly cloudy skies. The turnout was fantastic on a day like this, and there were helicopters hovering across the interstate from us, to film the long string of people waving as the buses and bikers and cops drove by. I'm sure some of the people here this morning were all about marking the anniversary of 9/11, but for me, it was all about making a special trip for some veterans start with a happy note. I love doing this, and I am so happy that I have the chance to do it.