Central Valley Honor Flight #4 Mission Accomplished!!! We are all home safe and sound --- 69 WW ll Veterans and 70+ Guardians, Medical assistants and Tour leaders --- no accidents or injuries! All the Veterans had a great time, most having never been to Washington DC, let alone to the Military Memorials. The weather was perfect - average temp of 75 degrees during the day and sunny skies. The Central Valley Honor Flight Team, led by Al Perry, was flawless in their in their organization, operation and attention to detail! Moving around a group of 150 people (half of them 80-90 yr olds) is no small task, yet they did it with military precision! The Veterans saw the Marine, WW ll, Air Force, Vietnam, Korea and Women in Military Memorials, in addition to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and the Changing of the Guard. We also visited the Air & Space Museum at the Smithsonian, which includes a special WW ll exhibit. We met other Honor Flight groups from other states and shared conversation, stories and insights with them. Special THANKS to Congressmen Costa, Nunes, Valadeo and Dehnam for their support of these Valley HEROES! Another special Thank You to all those that contributed letters, cards, pictures, etc for the MAIL CALL surprise on our return flight! The Welcome Home reception was UNBELIEVABLE! The support for these Veterans was heartfelt and powerful. Young or old, family or friend, military or civilian - all were their to say THANK YOU for your service! I cant believe there was a dry eye in the airport last night when we arrived. Cheering crowds, homemade signs, Color Guards and the media made these guys and gals feel like ROCKSTARS! A special THANKS to all or local media outlets for the great coverage of the trip and support of the Honor Flight program! The Veterans were physically tired, emotionally drained and anxious to get home. The plane ride was long, but the camaraderie was abundant. These guys and gals had made new friends, found battle buddies and shared a single common bond --- their service to our Country. I watched many Vets exchange phone numbers and there is already talk of a reunion for all Vets that went on the Central Valley Honor Flight tour in 2014! As a Guardian, I was humbled by the personal character, physical strength and the mental sharpness of these men and women! Their stories of the war makes my day-to-day struggles seem minuscule. They were challenged beyond their limits, they persevered and they over came all obstacles! We are ALL very fortunate that THESE men and women, members of the Greatest Generation, went to war to protect our freedoms and the United States of America --- defeat was not in their vocabulary! I was there to help them physically, however what they shared with me has changed me psychologically and emotionally for the rest of my life! The trip stirred different emotions for every Veteran on the trip, yet every one was touched in some way! As my Uncle Abby stated, Every WW ll Veteran should see this before they pass! My final word on this once-in-a-lifetime experience is this: Tell a WW ll Veteran about Central Valley Honor Flights and encourage them to sign up! Get involved personally with the program --- volunteer, invite a representative to speak at your business or service club. Make a donation or start a fundraising effort, as 100% of the cost of the program is funded via donations - 100% of the expenses are paid for Veterans. Become a Guardian --- it will change your life, as it did mine! There are nearly 4000 WW ll Veterans in the Central Valley --- please help Send Them on One More Mission with Honor!
Posted on: Thu, 18 Sep 2014 21:57:59 +0000