A group of U.S. Naval Academy midshipmen were among the crowd greeting 73 World War II veterans at the Baltimore-Washington International Airport Oct. 15-16 with rousing cheers as they departed the terminal.
The veterans were visiting the nation’s capital as part of the Honor Flight program, a national program which provides free transportation to war veterans across the country to see their respective memorials in D.C.
Also cheering them on were the honor flight guardians – volunteers who help organize the trips and travel with the veterans – as well as enlisted personnel from various commands, airport personnel and even passengers who lined both sides of the passageway to cheer on the aging veterans for their service, reminiscent of the flamboyant parades at the end of World War II during which French, British and American citizens celebrated their victory.
The veterans were ushered out of the terminal and assisted onto a tour bus. They were then led off to D.C. by motorcycle escorts and given a farewell salute by the military personnel.
Midshipman 2nd Class Matthew R. Disher, member of the Midshipman Action Group and the project leader who organizes midshipman participation in the honor flights, said that it was all a surprise for the veterans.
“They don't expect anyone to be there so to walk into a reception like that with rows and rows of midshipmen, numerous military personnel and civilians cheering for them is a pretty awesome experience,” he said. “They really appreciate it.”
“Even though we could be enjoying weekend liberty, it was an honor for us to come out here and show our appreciation for what they did and make this day special for someone else,” said Midshipman 2nd Class Jordan M. Goodman.
Disher, who comes a from a family tradition of naval service, emphasized the need for greater publicity for the program so that midshipmen, enlisted and other uniformed personnel can volunteer consistently and be a part of the military’s historic legacy before it is too late.
“We need people to come out every weekend, and hopefully the program can expand from a meet and greet to making the trip to D.C. and escorting the war heroes during their tour,” he said. “It’s one thing for them to see their memorial, but to tour it with someone in uniform accompanying them would be a truly memorable experience for both them and us.”
According to the organization’s website, the U.S. is losing World War II veterans at a rate of 1,000 per day, and many have not yet seen their memorial due to a lack of resources.
William Shivley, from Springfield, Ohio, spent 34 months participating in European and African campaigns as a T-2 in the U.S. Army during the war. Shivley was overjoyed to finally get the opportunity, at age 100, to take part in an honor flight.
“Everyone was really friendly and the way they treated us made me feel really good,” he said.
According to the website, the Honor Flight program was developed by retired Air Force Capt. Earl Morse who, as a Department of Veterans Affairs physician's assistant, had many World War II veterans as patients. Being a pilot and realizing that many of his patients would never be able to make the trip, Morse asked one of the veterans if it would be all right if Earl personally flew him out to D.C., free of charge, to visit his memorial. The veteran broke down crying and accepted the offer.
Realizing the importance of honoring veterans, Morse then presented his proposal of a volunteer program to fly the veterans to their memorial during an Aero Club safety meeting, and 11 pilots volunteered.
Soon more and more volunteers and contributors joined the program and a board was formed. The program now has 71 hubs in 30 states and is officially sponsored by Southwest Airlines.
For more information about the Honor Flight program, visit www.honorflight.org.
