Honor Flight Chicago’s 102nd mission to Washington, D.C., will go into the record books. It was our largest flight in terms of veterans with 119 (1 WWII, 7 Korea, 111 Vietnam). It was also our longest. An unfortunate maintenance issue with our scheduled return aircraft left us at the gate at Dulles until after midnight, pushing back the Welcome Home until well after 2 a.m. CT.
The best organizations pull through in the face of hardship. In moments like that, they shine the brightest. Honor Flight Chicago is one of those organizations because our volunteers insist on it. More on that later.
In the morning—despite having a record number of veterans—we completed our check-in process and made it to the gate early. In Washington we were joined by old friends but also many fresh faces experiencing their first Honor Flight Chicago trip as a D.C.-based Guardian, ensuring that we maintained our treasured 1-to-1 ratio of veteran to guardian. The trip was smooth on a beautifully warm day.
In the evening, our entire party boarded the plane only to be told our aircraft was being taken out of service and we would have to wait for another one. This is where our organization and our partners shined.
- Within minutes, our partners at Dulles and Southwest worked together to “clear the deck” and allow our veterans and wheelchairs to remain at our same gate. They also responded to a request for some pillows and blankets by bringing 10 HUGE BOXES full.
- Our dinner vendor rolled up with additional cases of water and vats of coffee.
- Many of our D.C. Guardians who were in varying stages of heading home returned to the airport and made their way back to the gate to assist.
- All of our Guardians and leadership stepped up to perform a special Mail Call ceremony at the gate while we waited.
- Finally, our orange shirts and volunteer leaders back at Midway pulled plan after plan together to ensure our heroes still got the Welcome Home they deserved when we finally landed.
A special thanks to the Frankfort Brass Band for staying and playing DEEP into the night at what was a Welcome Home to remember. The wife of one of our veterans on the trip called just as we were composing this Director’s Message. She said her husband was blown away by how many people were at Midway. “He’s on a high that I don’t think he’s ever coming down from. We’ll have to bury him in a cloud someday.”
It was a long trip, but it still was a fulfilling and life-changing day for our veterans. In the immediate aftermath, the feedback has been overwhelmingly positive with barely a mention of the delay. Our organization took a bad hand and turned it into a royal flush. We could not be more proud.
See you next month!
Edna Ho and Doug Meffley
Directors, Honor Flight Chicago
“This day of celebration was amazing and overwhelming to say the least, from beginning to end! Emotions that have been suppressed in my soul for 55 years that I thought were well buried surfaced yesterday. Comrades that I shared “my phone charger” with as a life line to maintain memories would have been the same men that I would have “shared my Ammo” with in Vietnam to sustain our mission! In the chain of life I’ve lived, Honor Flight Chicago has provided me with the link that I didn’t realize was missing.”
— Vietnam Marine Corps Veteran Ed Davis
“The trip was fantastic. Everyone that works with and volunteers with Honor Flight Chicago are some of the finest, most wonderful people I have ever met. I can not say thank you enough. Please do me a big favor, if possible, pass on my personal thank you to everyone within the Honor Flight Chicago group of people. I and my (guardian) son loved every single moment. Yesterday was a day I will cherish forever.”
— Vietnam Veteran Lance Lemvig
“Loved and appreciated every minute of the fabulous welcome home event. A BIG BRAVO to all the Honor Flight Chicago volunteers!”
— Vietnam Veteran Joseph Kerke
“Words cannot express how thankful I am to have been blessed with being a part of this event.”
— Vietnam Veteran Nick Schmit
“You and all those involved made it a great event that has touched my heart. Memories that will last a lifetime.”
— Vietnam Army Veteran Jose Vicens
“Wanted to let you know how impressed I was about everything yesterday. My guardian was fantastic and this experience is forever etched in my mind. I am so impressed.”
— Vietnam Army Veteran Dan Dunski
“The visits to the Memorials were awesome. The plane was a problem coming home, but nobody complained. Getting off the plane at Midway at two in the morning there were still people there and the band too. I will never forget this experience. I want to give all the volunteers a big big thank you.”
— Vietnam Army Veteran Thomas Duracka
“I can take this off my bucket list. I want to go again! I don’t think anybody cared about the long delay (on the flight home.) I feel like it’s almost come full circle — I didn’t feel honored when I first came home, but I feel honored now. Honor Flight Chicago should run the rest of the world! I couldn’t believe the band was still there! You don’t have to thank me, I should be thanking all of you.”
— Vietnam Army Veteran Jerry Fleck
“It was just fantastic! Really something. Better than I even imagined. Mail Call was something. I had to stop reading after a bit because I was getting emotional. The Welcome Home, the police escort in DC, made me feel great. I was pleased and honored. All of the thank you’s started to get to me. I’ll never forget this!”
— Vietnam Veteran Wayne Johnson
“Thank you for a great time! It was wonderful! The whole trip was so well planned. You all really thought of everything, really took care of the veterans.”
— Vietnam Veteran Jerry Michaels
“All of the thank you’s we received, they never come without acknowledgement. We always thank those who thank us. We never got that when we first came home. My grandkids couldn’t stay at the airport, so they gave me a little “parade” the next day. They saluted me and sang the Star Spangled Banner. Thank you!”
— Vietnam Veteran Michael Kadlubowski
“What a fantastic, fabulous trip! Phenomenal! Everything was just perfect.”
— Vietnam Veteran Richard Pogvara
