Almost every day I check the Sun Herald online for news about MDOT on the Gulf Coast. One day I saw an article about a Honor Flight returning from Washington, D.C., and plans for the next one in several months. I was fascinated by the article and since veterans are special to me, I knew I had to be a part of honoring these surviving members of Mississippi’s “Greatest Generation.”

Organized through the nonprofit Honor Flight Network, the day-long trip out of the Gulfport-Biloxi International Airport offers World War II veterans a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see their nation’s capital with its military memorials, especially the memorial commemorating their service and sacrifice. All events of the day are free of charge for the honored veterans. Each Honor Flight costs about $90,000, which includes a chartered plane, rental of four tour busses and tour guides in Washington, meals and supplies, shirts and hats and other souvenir items and the pre-flight orientation. Each veteran must be accompanied by a guardian who pays a $500 fee.There are a few sponsors, but the majority of the money comes from fundraising efforts of the small and dedicated Honor Flight leadership and volunteers in Jackson County.

Honor Flight personnel attempt to handle any medical situation so the veteran can make the trip. A wheelchair, walker or oxygen tank is not a problem. Each of the four busses used in Washington has a volunteer medical team from the Gulf Coast. Each bus also has a media person from a Gulf Coast/Hattiesburg television station and newspaper to give first-hand coverage.

At the required pre-flight orientation a couple of weeks before the departure, each guardian meets his or her veteran who comes from all over the state. My veteran was 95-year-old Miriam, a resident of the new Armed Forces Retirement Home in Gulfport, rebuilt after the old one was destroyed by Hurricane Katrina. Miriam had served with the U. S. Navy in Washington. If I am half as intelligent, charming and delightful at that age, I will be very happy.

We departed at 7 a.m. and arrived at Reagan National to a water salute over the plane, exited the plane to a band playing 1940s music and dancers, and saw dozens of people cheering and welcoming us with signs. We were then led to the busses that took us to the World War II Memorial, where we were greeted by Sen. Roger Wicker and U.S. Rep. Steven Palazzo. They and a bagpiper led the group to the Mississippi section of the memorial for the laying of the wreath and individual photos. After lunch on the memorial grounds, we saw the Lincoln, Korean and Vietnam memorials, and the Iwo Jima Monument. Then it was on to an emotionally moving visit at Arlington National Cemetery and The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier with a viewing of the Changing of the Guard and a wreath-laying by Mississippi veterans.

Nov. 5 was wheels up for “Honor Flight: The Final Mission” by the Mississippi Gulf Coast Honor Flight organization. Oct. 3, was to have been the final Honor Flight but the decision was made to have an Encore Flight for the overflow of veterans unable to make this flight. The MGCHF had committed to six Honor Flights. That commitment and one more has been fulfilled.

Through these flights, more than 500 World War II veterans from Mississippi have been able to make this memorable journey. Hopefully, another group will commit to organizing these Honor Flights. There is an urgency to these events because these veterans are all in their 80s and 90s, and roughly 1,000 die each day. These men and women are in the final chapter of their lives and should be given a day where they are celebrated and honored for what they have given us. They went and fought and gave us a free country, came back home, worked and raised their families and asked for nothing. They didn’t even ask for this, but they appreciate it.

 

Janet Sullivan lives in Natchez and is on the staff of MDOT Commissioner Tom King.