Veteran's Day - 2023

Honor Flight 2014

"If you can read this, thank a teacher. 
If you can read this in English, thank a veteran."
From Honor Flight

Click above for more info

by Skip Cohen

I know I've shared a lot of information about Honor Flight in the past, but in honor of Veteran's Day, it's time to share it a little more.

​In 2014, as a Father's Day gift, I booked a trip with Honor Flight for my Dad and me. I signed us up for the two-day program, hitting all the major war memorials in D.C. At the time, our son was stationed in the area and surprised us. He joined us at each of the memorials along the way. 

Dad served in WWII in the Army Air Corps in the Asia/Pacific. He never talked much about the war but put him together with his peers on this trip, and the stories flowed. All the other veterans on this particular trip had all been based in Europe. So, Dad's experiences were unique.

One night at dinner, I remember one of the veterans asked Dad if he ever got to meet MacArthur. He answered, "No, but I brought in his plane a few times." Dad was trained as a pilot and navigator, but a perforated eardrum grounded him, and he served a lot of his time in the tower in New Guinea.

That night, just before going to sleep, Dad told me one last story, "It was my turn to get out of the tower and fly on the routine radar calibration flight that day. I was pretty excited to get in the air. However my "CO" grounded me because he wanted to go. I was disappointed, but no big deal, I'd get the next one...Well, they never came back." Dad let out a quiet sigh and that was he said. 

If you've got a veteran in the family before they're too old to share the stories, book a trip with Honor Flight. They're an amazing nonprofit with an incredible goal of demonstrating respect and appreciation for our veterans. Check out the numbers below - they've honored 273,543 veterans and had 200,210 guardians along for the trips since they started in 2005!

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​It's Veteran's Day 2023 and an opportunity to express my appreciation to all of you who have served and are currently serving. And I can't forget all the families involved who have sons and daughters in the military. Last but not least - our son Brian, who serves today, "Uncle" Randy, who rarely takes off his USMC hat, and my Dad, who's keeping an eye on us from above. Thank you all for your sacrifices to give us the lives we now live.

Our debt to the heroic men and valiant women in the service of our country can never be repaid.
They have earned our undying gratitude. America will never forget their sacrifices.
President Harry S. Truman