Veterans are some of our most respected citizens, but just like the rest of us, they share a basic human need to feel like what they do matters.
That feeling was a long time coming for proud U.S. Army vet Constance Lee Richards, who served from 1973-1976. Thank you, Constance, for sharing your recent Honor Flight experience in our periodic guest post series “Shared Spaces.”
On Veteran’s Day and every day, we salute our veterans who have stepped up to secure our freedoms. However you have served, we are grateful.
You all deserve an Honor Flight experience and then some.
The whole experience was orchestrated like a beautiful play.
At a meet-and-greet the week before we left on our Honor Flight, every veteran was gifted a T-shirt and windbreaker, a D.C. photo book, and a handmade lap quilt for the journey. We were excited.
The day of the flight, I left my house at 2:30am – which gave me enough time to make the 5:15am flight from St. Louis to Washington, D.C. Of the 63 veterans on the flight, I was the only woman. Not too different from when I served.
The beginning of the journey felt a little like leaving for basic training again – traveling with a group of people but I didn’t know a single one of them. I was a bit anxious, trying to keep up with all the details of the day ahead.
Unlike many aboard, I didn’t have a traveling companion, but a lovely woman named Vicki adopted me. She was accompanying her friend Stan, a Vietnam combat veteran, and they let me tag along.
In addition to the veterans, the flight carried volunteer EMTs, counselors with PTSD expertise, and “guardians” that cared for individual veterans. Every step of the way, we were offered whatever assistance we needed, including wheelchairs, and there were a few who opted to use them. Thankfully, I’m still getting around just fine on my own.
My new friend Vicki graciously took charge of taking pictures, so I could be fully present. We visited several war memorials, where I got to appreciate American history through the eyes of those who served.
The pace of our itinerary felt a little like we were back in boot camp, but with police motorcycle escorts to ensure we didn’t have to waste time in D.C. traffic. We visited the Lincoln, FDR, Korean, Vietnam, World War II, and Iwo Jima Marine memorials – all in person – and then drove by the Air Force Memorial.
I especially appreciated seeing Eleanor Roosevelt’s statue at the FDR Memorial, as she’s the only first lady respresented with a statue at any presidential memorial or on the National Mall. A fellow female trailblazer.
Then something really special happened just before we watched the changing of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery. I was given a lovely award from the Military Women’s Memorial, including a nice bio of my honors. Being singled out like that for my accomplishments was something I’ll never forget.
The organizers went above and beyond to make sure we felt appreciated.
Throughout the day, we were given mementos, stickers, pins, hats, and small gifts, all with patriotic themes and words of thanks.
To recreate the “mail call” we all experienced during our service, every veteran received a packet on the flight home full of letters, hand-drawn pictures and photographs from people we know and some we don’t. My envelope was stuffed with cards from many of my Jazzercise friends. Apparently, a fellow jazzercise instructor, Shelly, told our network that I was going on this trip, and her effort netted about 50 handwritten notes from all the women I know there. What a wonderful tradition.
When we deplaned back in St. Louis, active-duty military and Boy Scout troops greeted us upon arrival. We formed two lines and started a bagpipe procession, going from one terminal to another, flanked by families and friends holding signs with each veteran’s name.
I was surprised to find that I had an entourage waiting. My wife Mary, my close friends, two yoga students and five Jazzercise friends all came out to honor me. Everything was so happy and festive, but when I saw my people, I burst into tears. I had always hoped for such a homecoming but never received one until now.
On an Honor Flight, you’re told often that “this is your day” and that “we are here to serve you, because you served our country.” Not that I need flattery, but so many years after I served during an especially difficult time in our history, I finally felt validated that my military service was important to our country.
And the timing was perfect – we took the Honor Flight the day after the recent midterm elections, which deepened my sense of security and belief in the checks and balances of our government.
The Honor Flight was truly a peak experience that I will never forget. I wore my ex-husband’s dog tags on the flight and thought about how much my brother would have enjoyed the experience, but neither had the chance before they passed. On Veteran’s Day and every day, I hope all veterans have the opportunity to feel honored and appreciated.
I finally feel like I belong. I am a veteran – a woman whose service mattered.
YOUR TURN: To honor those who’ve served our country, on Veteran’s Day and every day, thank a vet for their service. Fly the flag. Share a meal or pick up their restaurant tab. Donate to nonprofits that serve or benefit them. Even the simplest, genuine show of respect will mean more than you know.
Learn more about Honor Flights here.
(Photo and Original Writing by Constance Lee Richards/Editing by Beth Houlton)
