by Evelyn J. Mocbeichel
Both of our grandchildren are Scout members so we are learning about activities they participate in that are different from when their mother and her two siblings were scouts. One such event they recently attended was in welcoming the arrival of an Honor Flight at the airport near them. What is an Honor Flight Mission? It first began in 2005 thanks to Earl Morse, a U.S. Air Force Captain who wanted to honor veterans of previous wars. He wanted to celebrate America’s veterans by inviting them to share in a day of honor at our nation’s memorials to show gratitude and community of support they deserve. 
Participation in an Honor Flight trip gives veterans the opportunity to share this momentous occasion with others, to remember the fallen, and share their stories and experiences with other vets. Honored veterans always travel free of charge, thanks to generous donations and are welcome to invite a caregiver, friend or volunteer to come with them. While initially focused solely on America’s World War II era veterans, Honor Flight Network has expanded its mission to include those who served during the Korean War and the Vietnam War eras. The Honor Flight TLC program also honors veterans of any service era who are critically ill. So far over 317,000 vets have been honored in the 20 years of operation in 46 states. There are around 100 honor flights per year on average when accounting for all organizations.
Honor flights arrive at all three of the Washington’s area airports: Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport and Washington Dulles International Airport. The multiple scout troops participating on this Saturday morning flight arrival had to be at the airport at 7:30 a.m. Holding American flags and banners Troop 2970G, along with Scout Master Daniel Atienza, co-leaders and some parents, lined up in the long corridor to welcome the plane filled with veterans arriving from Michigan. That morning our daughter, who often volunteers with the troop, called us from the airport as the troop waited for vets to walk through the airport to waiting buses. I watched on Face time and it was truly heartwarming to see the smiles on the vets’ faces as they were greeted by a high school band playing The Star Spangled Banner and other patriotic music and the well wishes clapping and waving flags. Some vets were in wheelchairs and others walked over to the scouts and eagerly shook hands. After boarding several buses the all day sightseeing tour began in Washington D.C. visiting the war memorials. 
These memorials include the World War II Memorial, Korean War Veterans Memorial, Vietnam Veterans Memorial, and the Marine Corps War Memorial. Lunch is provided in between the long day of touring. What is also a compliment to the scout troops and volunteer greeters is that they returned at 5:30 pm to wave again as the vets boarded the planes to return to their home state! Again, our daughter called us and we watched on Face time and saw the veterans come over to the young scouts to thank them for being there. Clearly I could hear our daughter’s voice replying to them, “THANK YOU, for your service!”
If you’re a veteran or know one that would like to be on this flight, you can sign up for an honor flight by visiting an honor flight organization’s website and filling out their application form. Veterans of the Second World War and terminally ill veterans are usually given priority for honor flights. Besides this, generally, the older the veteran and therefore the older the conflict they served in, such as the Korean War, and the Vietnam War, are priorities. If accepted, they’ll contact you with further details. Honor Flight Network: 1405 South Fern Street, #702, Arlington, VA 22202. (937) 521-2400 – https://www.honorflight.org/ – info@honorflight.org