David Robinson, Honor Flight

David Robinson, U.S. Army, DaNang

I had perhaps heard of Honor Flight on the news and seen videos of people at the airport honoring veterans for their military service. A friend of mine who works for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) had encouraged buddies to take the Honor Flight. He started encouraging and then badgering me, so I finally signed on to shut him up.

In April, I received a call saying that if I wanted to go, I was eligible as a Vietnam Veteran for participation in the Honor Flight. I said yes and was scheduled for October. Another call on May 1 offered to let me take a cancellation space on May 9. I said yes again, so they booked me.

Honor Flights were founded in 2005 by two men, Jeff Miller and Earl Morse. Today, over 130 hubs throughout the U.S. are dedicated to serving vets on the Honor Flights. Veterans of World War II, Korean War, and Vietnam are flown to the Washington, DC area; fed and housed on the trip; taken on tours of the Capitol and war monuments; and honored before, during, and after. Everything is free for vets and caregivers who accompany them. The State of Kansas does more flights than any other state.

Above, Veterans gathered at Wichita’s Eisenhower Airport prior to the flight to Baltimore on May 9, 2022.

 I was on the 90^th Kansas flight and found the entire experience quite impressive. Along for the ride were 3 veterans of WWII, 17 from the Korean War, and the rest from Vietnam. Altogether there were 190 people on our trip. Parking at the Wichita airport was free to participants, and we received t-shirts and caps so the organizers could keep track of us. Sadly, no women or people of color were on our flight, which surprised me. Veterans with a wide variety of disabilities were welcomed and made as comfortable as possible throughout the trip.

Who pays for Honor Flights, since everything is free for participants? The answer is donations. No federal or state money is used. We flew on Southwest Airlines. I assume Southwest donated the plane or provided a good discount. Our flight was supported by Auto Smart, an auto services company on West Douglas. Owner Scott Bahruth had placed donation boxes at his businesses and then matched what people donated. He and some of his employees were there to greet us when we returned. His company has raised $40,000 to cover costs of Honor Flights.

On May 9, we were herded onto the plane and flew to Baltimore, a nearby but less expensive city for visitors than Washington. I figured we might be sleeping at Motel 6, but we stayed at a beautiful Hilton near the Baltimore-Washington airport in rooms with king size beds and four chits for free drinks at the hotel bar. I confess to being apprehensive about getting thrown into a hotel room with some old fart. Ironically, I could not have gotten a better roommate if I had done interviews. (Above, David and Roommate Ray at the WWII Memorial)

Day 1 – The plane landed before lunch, and we were divided into three busloads so too many of us would not converge at the same place. After lunch at a nice restaurant, we went on an interesting tour of Ft. McHenry, home of the “Star Spangled Banner,” and then checked into the Hilton. A color guard preceded us into the evening banquet, a very moving experience with a lovely dinner and excellent speakers.  Then someone yelled, “Mail Call.” Two magic words that servicemen lived for. Someone started calling guys’ names and presenting each of them with a bundle of mail.  My name was called. I was amazed to see my stack of mail.

When you sign up for Honor Flight, you have to list next of kin. Organizers contact your next of kin to ask if they would like to send mail. They will write if the family doesn’t. My sister in Wichita picked up this opportunity and ran with it. She encouraged my neighbors, friends, and family, including my sister and nephew in New York, to write letters honoring me for my service and wishing me a good time. I was thrilled with all my mail, especially letters from best friends who have influenced my life.

The Honor Flights are really well organized in every way. The support group in Kansas does a wonderful job. I learned that the hubs in the states have varied programs. For instance, Florida sends veterans for one night. Kansas participants stay two nights and fly home on the third day. (Left, David at the Kansas Column, part of the World War II Memorial on the Mall.)

Day 2 – After breakfast, we were loaded onto big, new, site-seeing buses with glass ceilings. We drove by the Capitol and the White House. Our buses parked by the war memorials, which are all close together near the Lincoln Memorial. We walked around to visit each one. I had seen a CBS Sunday Morning Show of the Lincoln Memorial’s 100^th anniversary with Marian Anderson singing. Then I found myself standing in the very same place. It was very moving.

The Vietnam Wall was also moving. Something unusual was happening that day. Two men were working there, one on a ladder. I thought they must be looking for a name. A support dog was sitting at the base of the ladder. What they were doing was correcting a listing. If you see a name on the Wall with a cross after it, that body has never been found. When the body is found, workers put a star above the cross. And that is what these two were doing.

My favorite memorial was the one for pampered Air Force people, which is located not on the Mall but by the Pentagon. This sculpture includes three huge extensions like jet streams that arch out from a raised base overlooking the Pentagon. If this memorial had been there in 9/11, the plane would have hit it. We enjoyed a picnic lunch on that hill at the Pentagon.

After lunch, we moved on to Arlington National Cemetery. Over 400,000 people are buried there, including several of our 1960 classmates, and an average of 20 funerals occur at Arlington each day. We watched the changing of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. The guards’ dress and their performance were superb. Next, we rode in our buses back to Baltimore, where we had dinner at the Golden Corral. I had delicious fried chicken and too many desserts. The servers were wonderful to us and were rewarded with good tips.

Everyone participating in the Honor Flight was quite happy and positive. All old coots, we laughed and talked and teased each other. Most of us were about the same age and had shared so many similar experiences that we got along really well. When we went to the airport the next morning, I got separated somehow. Walking through the Baltimore Airport, I saw that other travelers were just as positive about veterans. As we walked toward the plane, people stood and applauded. We were all impressed that they recognized and appreciated our service.

Back in Wichita, we were bussed to the Red Lion Inn for the final ceremony. One of the people on the program was the original Rosie the Riveter, a short Mexican-American woman who had signed up to work at Boeing during WWII. She did not want to do riveting, but on her second day, she agreed to work with an African American woman on riveting. No one else wanted to work with that woman, but Rosie did. She was inspiring and lots of fun. (That’s Rosie on the right.) We also heard from Miss Kansas and from Scott Bahruth of Auto Smart, who brought his employees. He spoke briefly. The ceremony was attended by a big crowd, including my friend from the FAA and many families, who hugged and applauded throughout. They gave us a standing ovation.

The Honor Flight was one of the most moving experiences of my life. In addition to standing ovations, we were celebrated in many other ways. For instance, every time we landed – in Baltimore and back in Wichita – fire department engines shot huge plumes of water in the air. Everywhere we went, people cheered for us and thanked us. Yes, I thanked my friend who encouraged me to go. I would urge other veterans to participate and hope their families will help make it possible.  All together, it was a fabulous experience.

Editor’ Note: Honor Flight organizations exist in every state and many cities. See www.honorflight.org for information on how to participate and opportunities to donate to activities thanking our military veterans for their service to the nation.