August 28 proved to be one of the hottest days of the year in Washington, D.C., with temperatures cresting at triple digits and not a cloud in the sky. And yet, 116 eager senior war veterans – seven from the Korean War and 109 from the Vietnam War – never wavered in their desire to experience their Day of Honor, Thanks, and Inspiration in our nation’s capital!
The outbound flight was particularly special. In the Captain’s chair of SWA Flight 8037 was Dave DeNormandie, who is the son of Vietnam War Veteran Allen DeNormandie. For the first time ever, Dave piloted a flight with his dad aboard. Then, he exchanged his flight deck uniform for an Honor Flight Chicago kiwi green polo shirt and spent the rest of the day as his father’s Guardian.
Another special moment occurred as we left Dulles International Airport to board our buses for the day, though this one was completely spontaneous. A group of Korean school children with the FEBC-Korea Children’s Choir Patriotic Concert was waiting to check in for a flight as our group of heroes passed by. These children sprung to action, perfectly singing the various anthems of each United States military branch with gusto. When asked who they were, the children fetched an adult to translate the question – they did not speak English, but they absolutely spoke the language of respect for our service men and women!
Our itinerary was greatly modified to keep our entire travel party safe and comfortable throughout our time in D.C. We still spent time at each War Memorial, but added a driving tour of downtown past the Capitol and White House to allow for more time in the cooled buses. We also extended our usual visit to the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum’s Udvar-Hazy Center on the campus of Dulles airport.
The Veterans rarely if ever mentioned the heat; instead, they used words like ‘gratitude,’ ‘incredible,’ ‘emotional,’ ‘healing,’ and ‘validating.’
We have just two missions remaining in our already wildly successful 2024 flight season. As the dog days of summer pass in favor of (hopefully!) cooler fall temperatures, we are excited to keep our momentum strong as our volunteers and partners provide this long-awaited experience to hundreds more deserving heroes.
Edna Ho and Doug Meffley
Directors, Honor Flight Chicago
“I just want to thank you and Honor Flight Chicago for a great day. I was so impressed with the whole day. It was very moving. I just wanted to tell you I got a rubbing of my friend at the Wall. Leo Miller was his name. He sat next to me in grade and high school because we had the same last name. Just by chance we both join the service the same day. We met in the induction center. We talked he told me he was going in the Navy. He wanted to be a nurse. He also was the equipment manager on our football team. We shook hands and wished each other good luck. I never saw him again . I came home on leave and found out he had been killed on November 22nd 1968. He became a Marine Corpmen. I took the trip for him . I wish he could have been there with me.”
– Vietnam Veteran Jim Miller
“I am writing to express my deepest gratitude for the incredible experience I had with Honor Flight Chicago. The trip to DC on August 28th was a truly unforgettable and emotional journey, and I am so thankful to have had the opportunity to participate. From the moment we arrived in DC, we were welcomed with such warmth and fanfare, and it was a moment that I will never forget. Thank you to all the volunteers in Chicago and DC again for all your hard work and dedication to honoring the service of Vietnam and Korea veterans. This trip was a healing and validating experience for me, and I am grateful beyond words.”
— Vietnam Veteran Donald Clarke
“On Wednesday I flew to Washington DC With the Honor Flight Chicago. I now realize this flight was for me emotional. I realized the words that touched my heart were ‘Welcome Home’ every time I heard that I needed to hold back my tears. I felt so loved and honored to see people that did not know me who wanted me to feel this honor. At the Welcome Home when I saw my wife she was ready to cry and six friends came that will never really know how much it touched my heart. Who would think two small words could mean so much to hear: Welcome Home!”
— Vietnam Veteran Richard Morales
