Thoughts I penned after serving as a guardian for my dad on
a D.C. Honor Flight Jun 24th, 2014:
Meritorious Honor
Allow me to ask you a rhetorical question but before I do……
a couple of caveats. I believe that there are people in our generation and
younger that have earned their high place on the ladder. And I sincerely
believe that many deserve accolades for their actions and character and I truly
wish all deserving (including veterans from any conflict) would experience an
outpouring of honor. Yet, as I lay on my pillow after this amazing day, the
question on my mind is what follows:
What have you done in your life of extraordinary note?
What thing have you done which would illicit others
showering you with gratefulness? In other words what have you done, if
anything, that would qualify as meritorious? Actions so big or great that would
prompt a police honorary escort for 60 miles? How about actions that motivate
hundreds of volunteers working to make your every moment wonderful? What have
you done that may merit, not one or two, but a total of seven overpasses
occupied with fire trucks in full light array and at full salute as you are
escorted down the interstate? Since living and breathing around airports for
the past 45 years I have witnessed twice what I now ask. What would you have
had to do to call into action the airport’s fire department for the most
honored dual truck water cannon salute as your aircraft taxis underneath?
Further, what would you have accomplished in order to warrant special prime
parking of your bus motorcade at Dulles
Intl Airport
that only the most prestigious ever receive?
When you read this next one please pause to consider where
it happened! What have you done that would give you an honorary multi police
car escort in downtown Washington DC during noon rush-hour, directing your
convoy of busses through red lights and around slowed traffic and pausing
pedestrians (like only a few in DC ever experience) simply to get an amazing
city tour?
And now on the human side; What would convince people…..
many many people, to take time out of their day to greet you in a receiving
line that appeared to wrap around the airport with hugging, handshaking and
grateful greeters of all ages getting very personal and thanking you over and
over again? Beyond that, what have you done that would make countless impromptu
random strangers, and random groups of strangers, in public parks interrupt
their day and shake your hand telling you what a difference you made and thanking
you for it?
Lastly, what could you have possibly done to convince the
mighty Amway Corporation to give you carte blanche use of their prized private
airplane hangar and then arrange a welcoming reception with literally hundreds
of invitees being topped off by flying a vintage B17 bomber to that same hangar
for a static display…… all for you?
These are just a few of the many extraordinary acts that did
happen on this day to an extraordinary group of people……WWII Vets who were on
the inaugural Mid Michigan Honor Flight to Washington DC. And now you finally
know the rest of the story. What prompted this amazing amount of outpouring of
honor, respect and gratefulness from all generations? Well, it had to be
something big. And it sure was! The answer lies with those present who
represented the “greatest” generation that rose successfully for one of our
nation’s most challenging times. WWII
Veterans!
Everyone knows a WWII Vet and we all tend to share a natural
view of respect about this generation. And natural is the somewhat surprising
but operative word here. When you are on the receiving side of this outpouring
shown toward a WWII Vet, you realize that the givers of this honor (across all
generational barriers) are being completely natural. They share honor, respect
and gratitude and with that a beautiful and a completely natural thing happens.
This generation of Vets without question did a big and great thing for other
Americans. And if you do a great thing for others, you can rest assured others
will recognize it…..naturally. That is the experience the Vets received in DC
and I was lucky enough by proxy to see it.
Honor Flights are organized by this non-profit with all
volunteer help. And Mid-Michigan Honor Flight hub is led by an exquisite team.
These flights are designed to be completely free for the Vet yet shower them
with an experience of lasting honor and respect.
That, in a nutshell, is what happened this June 24th,
2014. What a flight! What a day! And what an amazing group of WWII Vets to serve.
My faith in country has been completely renewed all because I saw the younger
generation naturally giving up honor
and respect to those who truly deserve it……our WWII Vets!
So back to the beginning, how would I answer my own question
of: “What comparable thing have I done that would bring about this incredible
outpouring of honor and respect gracefully received by these WWII Vets?”
Nothing!
All the more reason why I stand and salute!
By Mark Sztanyo
Volunteer Guardian
My You Tube
Video snippets of Honor Flight:
Local News
story of Honor Flight:
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