Honor Flight Chicago kicked off its 12th season last week with Flight 89, a plane full of 14 World War II and 80 Korean War heroes. Also on board the plane were a couple of first-timers: us!
To say our first Honor Flight since taking over day-to-day operations in November was eye-opening would be to shortchange the experience. It was mind-blowing! We have spent five months getting to know our volunteers and everything they do, yet to see a flight day in action was still a marvel. April 10 was our first flight, but it’s clear that our volunteers have worked for years and years to get to the point of staging a logistics masterclass once a month during flight season.
While we felt pride in our organization and its people all day, the veterans felt love and inspiration. As 87-year-old Korean War Air Force A-1/C Carl Carlson said: “The ‘orange and green people’ were beautiful.” So thank you to our orange and green people (and every color in between!) for all that you do!
Our favorite moment of the day came early on at the Air Force Memorial when the oldest veteran to ever fly with us, 102-year-old Army Sgt. Josephine Bogdanich, met and shared some time with 97-year-old Navy WAVE Olga Kelso (pictured above), who was traveling with a different hub on Wednesday. That connection of two female WWII veterans with a combined 199 years of living between them was a moment only an Honor Flight can provide.
The weather was beautiful with blue skies, a warm sun and a crisp breeze at just the right moments. With the itinerary being so well run by our team in Washington D.C., we were able to wander the memorials and interact with the veterans and their guardians throughout the day. No matter if their shirt was gray, green, red or an active duty uniform, the one constant was a smile. Even when there were tears, there often was a smile.
We are so thankful to be a part of this team. Flight 89 was just the beginning for us and for Honor Flight Chicago’s new era. We can’t wait to see you all again in May!
Edna Ho and Doug Meffley
Directors, Honor Flight Chicago
“My head is still spinning! What a fantastic day, so well organized and the volunteers were the best!! I may change my name so I can go again!!”
— Amelia Cunningham
“This trip was magnificent and beyond anything I expected. “Thanks to all of the volunteers, the green shirts, orange shirts, red shirts. It could not have been better!”
— Herbert Sherriff
“I’m still so excited that I can’t stop smiling! I almost fell out of my chair when I saw my family waiting for me at the airport!! The ‘Andrews Sisters’ in the morning made me want to get up and dance! I couldn’t believe I’m there, on that trip, it was unbelievable.”
— Babe Ruth Morris
“One of the most positive days in my life! I would never have gotten to Washington without Honor Flight Chicago. I can’t explain how I felt at the Korean Memorial but I cried happy tears there. I was so tired when I got home but it was happy tired. And the Mail call, Wow!!”
— Bob Buckley
“It was a great trip, I will never forget it. I saw the memorials with a new eye being surrounded by other veterans. Even the weather was perfect.”
— Harold Streicher
“I couldn’t imagine how wonderful the Korean Memorial would be! It brought tears to my eyes. I am re-reading all my mail, how did you find all those people to write me letters? Thanks for one of the best days of my life.”
— Donald (DJ) Seneker
“The whole day was above and beyond, especially knowing it was put together by volunteers. God Bless you all!”
— Philip Manning
“My favorite part was the Air Force Memorial, also the Air and Space Museum. I couldn’t believe I was seeing the actual Enola Gay!!! The Silent Drill Team was spectacular.”
— Joseph Johnson
“Other than my wedding day and the birthdays of my sons, this was the best day of my life! I could have spent the whole day at the Lincoln Memorial reading the wonderful quotations from Mr. Lincoln. Politicians today should be made to come and partake of his wisdom!”
— Norval Edwards
“It was fabulous, much more than I expected. Knew I would be seeing memorials but the special part was the people. Everyone was so kind, considerate and helpful. I felt like I was King for a Day.”
— Ed Winclechter
“The volunteers (the ‘orange and green people’) were beautiful. WWII Memorial was spectacular, so filled with history. Mail Call was a huge surprise.”
— Carl Carlson
“I had been to Washington before but my Guardian was filled with information and history I knew nothing about. What a wonderful trip! Thanks to everyone who was involved, I will never forget it!”
— Fred Choromanski
