The UP Honor Flight

My husband and son went on the Honor Flight this week.  My husband is a veteran of the Vietnam War and has been looking forward to this trip for months. Our youngest son was going as his guardian (they don't allow spouses to go).  Both of them were excited about going to Washington DC and seeing all the memorials.  They left at 4 in the morning on Wednesday and spent the entire day moving from one place to the next in comfortable air-conditioned buses.  My husband said that everyone that was running the honor flight was friendly, caring and respectful of all the veterans.  Even people they met at the memorials were friendly.  Many came up to the veterans and shook their hands and thanked them for their service.  But my husband said his favorite part out of the whole trip was when they landed back home and there were hundreds of people standing on the tarmac waving flags, posters and cheering.  Being a Vietnam veteran, he never received that kind of welcome the first time.  In fact, he had been told to change out of his uniform and into civilian clothes so there would be no trouble when they landed.  Wednesday, almost 50 years later, he and the other Vietnam veterans received the welcome they deserved.  I thank the Honor Flight people for giving my husband and son a wonderful memory.  The look on my husband's face when he got off that plane in a crowd of well wishers, yelling "Welcome home" and "Thank you for your service" is an image that will stay with me forever.