by Kim Demory,
EDITOR egeagle@goldfieldaccess.net
They say you should walk a mile in someone’s shoes to get to know who they really are. Well, last week I had the privilege of taking a journey in the lives of 84 Veterans, including one very special man…my father.
On Tuesday, Sept. 24, 2019, at 4:45 a.m., Corporal Edwin Johanning and I, along with other heros from southwest Minnesota, northwest Iowa, and South Dakota, boarded the Midwest Honor Flight (Smithfield Foods Mission 5) out of Sioux Falls, S.D., headed for a tribute day in Washington, D.C. My goal as my father’s guardian on this once-in-a-lifetime trip wasn’t only to assist him on his journey, but more importantly, to get to know more about my 84-year old father and his time in the Army. I wanted to know why he served; what it was like to be away from his family for two years with no other form of communication than handwritten letters; if he worried that the love of his life he had met only a few months before would wait for him; and of course, what kinds of experiences he had while serving. These were my goals…but at the end of the whirlwind day, I learned so much more that could never be told to me with words.
Over the past several years as the Editor of this newspaper, I’ve had the pleasure of writing many Honor Flight stories about Veterans who have gone on our local Brushy Creek Honor Flight. But this time, it was my chance to experience first-hand what it means to these Veterans to be appreciated. It may have been a different Honor Flight, but I think it’s fair to say the encounters and emotions were the same.
Our alarms went off at 1:45 a.m. in order to make our way down to the hotel lobby by 2:30 a.m. in preparation to board the buses that would take us to the Sioux Falls airport. There was great anticipation in the air and not one single person looked tired or agitated at the idea of being up so very early. When we walked through the doors of the airport, the appreciation of our Veterans was immediately obvious. The Honor Flight crew was lined up, helping us check in and assigning our groups for the day – but first and foremost, they thanked each and every Veteran (mostly from the Korean Conflict and Vietnam, but a few from WWII) personally for their service to this great country. Once we were inside the gate, we were served a breakfast to give us energy for the day. I thought it would be a long wait before we boarded the plane, but quite the contrary. The time flew by as my Dad and I visited about our anticipation for the day, a bit about his time in the Army, and also listened to the buzz of Veterans getting acquainted with each other. As we lined up to get onto the plane, my Dad once again ran into an old friend he hadn’t seen in some 30 years, but was reunited with the night before at the Honor Flight send-off banquet. The smiles that lit their faces as they visited while making their way to the plane was priceless.
One might have thought since we were flying in the wee hours of the morning, that many of the passengers would have slept. They didn’t. Veteran seated next to Veteran, they continued getting to know one another, forming that camaraderie for which the military is known. The guardians, seated directly behind our Veterans, also got to know each others’ stories. Some, like me, were there with their fathers. Others were there with their grandfathers. And still others were with a complete stranger who would become a friend by the end of the day. But we were all there for the same reason – to show our respect and be a part of their “One Final Tour with Honor.”
When we arrived at the Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, as we exited the plane, their airport literally stopped. No flights boarded, no voices came over the intercom…they all just stood there and clapped. Some people waved small flags. Many people came up to shake our Veterans’ hands and give them their sincere thank you for protecting our freedoms. Watching the reaction of my father, it was as if it caught him off guard, but you could tell he was so appreciative. As we walked from our flight gate to the busses, the applause continued, and so did the emotions. In fact, everywhere we went our Veterans, our heroes, were greeted by a sincere show of gratitude – some that left even me speechless.
Our first stop of the tour was at Arlington National Cemetery to see the Changing of the Guard. Many Veterans I’ve written about over the years have said this was their favorite part of the day…now I can see why. It’s quiet. It’s calm. It’s a show of dedication and respect. It is patriotism at it’s highest form. It makes an impact on you. My Dad, too, said this was one of his favorite parts of the day. One of my favorite parts of the day, however, came after we were leaving the Changing of the Guard and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. That’s when we came upon a father with a son, who I’m guessing to be about eight years old, and a daughter, who was maybe six. They were walking on the path to see the Changing of the Guard as we were walking away from it. The little girl was in front, followed by her brother, who was followed by the dad. Without prompting, the little girl walked right up to my Dad and held out her hand to shake his and said “Thank you for your service.” Again, my Dad’s face. Tears in my eyes again. The little brother did the same, as did their dad. All I can say is “WOW!” They are being raised right!
Before leaving Arlington Cemetery and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, I told my Dad I wanted to get a picture of him in front of the Memorial Amphitheater located on the grounds. Upon our arrival, there were a few other Veterans lined up getting ready to take their picture as well. As they all got into position, a small group of tourists came up and asked if they could take a picture of them as well…that it made the photo so much more meaningful with them in it. My Dad, and each of the other Veterans, looked shocked. “Why would they want a photo of strangers in their picture?” seemed to be the consensus look on all of their faces. But that’s just it…they weren’t strangers. They were heroes; Veterans that these common people appreciated and wanted to show their appreciation for. After the pictures were taken, the tourists came up to each of the Veterans, got down to their eye level, shook their hand and took a few moments to speak personally with them. It left many of the Veterans with tears in their eyes.
This same reaction of the public continued throughout the day as we traveled around from monument to monument. It wasn’t even me they were thanking, yet my heart swelled with pride…for my Dad and ALL of the Veterans on this trip. To see them being appreciated; to see them proud of their mission to protect our country; to see them getting the recognition they deserve…it was so humbling. I’ve said “Thank You” to many Veterans over the years as I visit with them to write their Honor Flight story, but I guess I never really knew the true impact those two little words could have on someone…until I saw it for myself.
The Washington Monument, the Lincoln Memorial, the Vietnam Wall, the Air Force Memorial, the WWII Memorial, Iwo Jima…we saw so much. Throughout all of our stops, we had a wonderful tour guide who not only provided us with historical information, but also Honor Flight stories from over the years that she has been a part of. The one story that still, after a week of telling it, gives me goose bumps, took place at the The United States Marine Corps War Memorial (Iwo Jima). Our tour guide noted how she likes to just wander and observe the Veterans as they look at the memorials. On one particular day, she just so happened to be standing behind two Veterans and overheard this conversation: The first man stood looking at the monument of the Marines raising the flag, which depicts one of the most historic battles of World War II. He looked at the Veteran on the same Honor Flight as him and said something to the effect of he remembered that battle all too well. He was on the first boat in, and while there were many tragic events of the day, the worst part was that he lost his best friend that day. The man he was talking to turned and looked at him and said that he had the exact same story. The first man looked at the second man’s name tag and told him it was ironic, that he had the same name as his best friend all those years ago. But he really didn’t think much about it because it was a “common” name. The second man, then looking at the first man’s name tag said, you have the same name as my buddy too and it’s not a common name. Yep….they were each other’s best friends. They each thought the other had lost their life that day at Iwo Jima. Now here they were, more than 60 years later, reunited at the Iwo Jima Memorial in Arlington, VA.
“The moral of my story,” said the tour guide, “is take a look around at the Veterans you are here with today. You never know who you might be reunited with.”
This, and stories like them, are what our Veterans come home with thanks to the hundreds of volunteers and donors who make Honor Flights all over the nation possible. Because of these generous people, they come home with a feeling of appreciation and pride in the job they’ve done. Because of these flights and the opportunity to see these memorials, they know we are a grateful nation.
By the end of the day, when we landed at 8:40 p.m., you think I would have expected what was to come next…but I didn’t. I don’t think the Veterans did either. Past Veterans on the Honor Flight trip have always told me how astonished they were by the people, but this brought tears to my eyes. I really didn’t expect many people to be there because it was getting late and people most likely had to work in the morning. Also, I knew that there was going to be a Welcome Home rally at the event center, so I figured if people were going to come out they would just be there. But as the plane pulled up to the gate, we were greeted with the fire department and water cannons. Fireworks went off. When we got off the plane there were bagpipes playing. The Freedom Riders (a motorcycle group) were there, waving flags, cheering, shaking hands. Everyday, common people were there. They didn’t necessarily know anyone, they were just there to make sure the Veterans felt loved and appreciated. I’m quite sure there was not a dry eye in the group of Veterans and guardians. Then we pulled into the Welcome Home Rally. People were cheering. Family, friends, and even strangers held banners and posters thanking them for their service; calling them heroes; and welcoming them home. Listening to the response of the Veterans sitting on the bus, waiting to get out and see their loved ones and all those cheering people…they were in awe. It was almost silent as they looked in disbelief. The few that did speak, you could hear a quiver in their voice.
What’s amazing to me is that this particular Honor Flight – The Midwest Honor Flight, was started only two years ago by a 21-year-old young man. He has been on every flight and I can tell you he has a true passion of making sure each and every Veteran knows they are appreciated. When a Veteran wanted to talk, he always had time to listen. It’s as if he had all the time in the world with them. Thank you, Aaron, for taking the time to sit for a photo and talk with my Dad after we got home from the flight. The world needs more people like you! The other thing Aaron was heard saying throughout this whole experience – at the training seminar, at the banquet, on the flight, at the Welcome Home…was to ask a Veteran about their story. They may not want to share, and that’s okay, but you never know when they might want to share. It’s important to give them that opportunity, and it’s important that we let them know what a grateful nation we are.
If you know a Veteran, or see a Veteran, please, don’t feel awkward – take the time to go up to them and thank them for their sacrifices. I’ve seen, personally, just how very much it means to them. Dad, and to all our nation’s heroes – “Thank you for all you have done to make our nation what it is today. God bless all of you.”
