As Nate Moffett’s children were growing up, he chose not to tell them about his service during the Korean War. It was a time that he wanted to keep to himself.
In 2017, though, Moffett’s grandson asked him about the war. Then in 2018, Moffett flew to Washington, D.C., with Honor Flight Chicago. The day was special for Moffett, but it was the aftermath that he cherishes most. All the gratitude and respect bestowed on Moffett inspired him to share his story and experiences with his children and grandchildren.
“I can pass this on to my grandchildren,” Moffett said. “I sent the pictures from the trip to my son and daughters because back then, I didn’t tell my kids about my service. Last year, my grandson asked me for the first time about my service. Now that I have pictures from the trip, and the Korean Memorial, I can show him.”
He also has the letters he was surprised with during Mail Call on the flight back to Chicago that he can now show to his family.
“When we had Mail Call, it brought back a lot of memories for me,” he said. “It was very touching that students and even kindergarteners wrote to me about the Korean War.”
Moffett was particularly grateful to his Virginia-based guardian, who sent him a number of pictures from the trip within a day of his return home.
Moffett said he enjoyed how much he learned on the trip, and he wants to go back to Washington so he can see the National 9-11 Pentagon Memorial, the National Museum of African-American History and Culture, and other sites that he saw from the bus.
As for now, he plans to share his experiences with other vets and encourage them to take the same flight. Also, now that he knows Popeye’s Chicken sponsored an Honor Flight Chicago trip, he plans to make Popeye’s a regular stop on his way home from church.
“Last year, my grandson asked me for the first time about my service. Now that I have pictures from the trip, and the Korean Memorial, I can show him.”
