MISSION: ACCOMPLISHED
Honor Flight Louisiana
Operation October Sunrise
October 5th, 2019
We are happy to report that Operation October Sunrise, our second flight, was a resounding success!
Operation October Sunrise
OCTOBER 5, 2019
Click the image to the left to be taken to our Facebook page, where you can find the Operation October Sunrise photo album.
(Album credit: Mark Christman)
D-1: Meet & Greet in New Orleans
Once again, we were honored for the New Orleans VFW to have hosted our “Meet & Greet” gathering, offering their facilities and volunteers to support our flight. The Alfred E. Flynn VFW Post 8973 is the only VFW post in New Orleans, and we owe all of its members a hearty “thank you”. Volunteers were on standby to assist with food preparation and seating, and had fun meeting all of the Veterans taking part in the flight.
The Veterans thoroughly enjoyed the event, which included the Pledge of Allegiance, the sharing of stories, and general comradery. They took turns going around the room sharing stories and memories from their time in the service. We were excited to see numerous connections made, where some Veterans served in the same location or knew some of the same people!
There were a number of distinguished guests who showed up to the “Meet & Greet”, including Lt. Gov. Billy Nungesser and Congressman Garrett Graves. Both gave incredible speeches, hanging around after to take pictures and meet everyone.
Both distinguished guests have shown our organization support in the past, as well as the Veteran community as a whole. We are thankful for Lt. Gov. Nungesser and Congressman Graves to have shown their support and the support of Louisiana for the Veterans.
By the end of the night, the staff, Guardian Corps, and Veterans were eager to reassemble at the New Orleans International Airport for the trip to Washington, D.C. the next day…
D-Day: Operation October Sunrise commences!
The day began early, with staff getting to New Orleans International Airport at 4:30 a.m. to meet the Veterans arriving beginning at 4:45 a.m. The Veterans and their respective Guardians began showing up to the pre-designated meeting place near security - Dook’s Place. With an assortment of donated pastry items, water, coffee, and orange juice graciously donated to our group, our Veterans ate breakfast anxiously awaiting the boarding process. Just before a prayer and the Pledge of Allegiance was conducted, Rep. Ralph Abraham showed up! Our Veterans were able to meet with the then candidate for Governor, who shared his words of gratitude.
As we began to file out of the restaurant, just before going through security, we were surprised to find an “honor guard” waiting to transport us through the terminal to our gate. One-by-one, the honor guard led our Veterans through the terminal, announcing their names and the war(s) in which they fought. The day was already beginning to become emotional as you could feel the sense of pride and honor in our nation, and in particular these Veterans, before we even boarded the plane.
Just before boarding and taking-off, the Veterans got together for their first group photo. You could already begin to see the excitement in their eyes.
Once aboard the plane, Southwest Airlines “pulled out all the stops” for the 6:50 a.m. departure. Though nothing was officially planned for the flight to Washington, D.C. (the time is meant for the Veterans and Guardians to bond for duration of the 2.5-hour flight), the pilots and flight crew went out of their way to ensure our Veterans were comfortable and entertained.
Just before 10:20 a.m., we arrived at Baltimore-Washington International and patiently waited to de-plane. The air crew informed us that all other passengers would be getting off the plane first so we could take our time in organizing and coming off the plane. What they didn’t tell us was that they had instructed the passengers on the plane to provide our Veterans with a special greeting. Coming through the gate, we were immediately greeted by airport staff, volunteers, and passengers, and unbeknownst to us, a line had formed outside of the arrival gate to greet our Veterans one-by-one as they came off the plane.
One aspect of Honor Flight is trying to provide a “welcome home” that many Veterans didn’t receive upon returning from war. Before making it into the Capital, you could feel the demeanor change in the Veterans - from a sense of the unknown to a sense of pride and happiness.
Many of our Veterans stated they had not ever been to our nation’s Capital before, so imagine their surprise when we made it into the District! We began pointing out the White House, the Capital building, the Jefferson Memorial, and other landmark locations in D.C. which was a real treat for them. As we reached the National Mall, our first stop was the WWII Memorial. The Veterans and respective Guardians toured this amazing memorial, stopping at the “Louisiana” pillar to take pictures. After taking in all the sites and sounds (not to mention being outdoors for the first time all morning!), everyone gathered in front of the memorial’s fountain to take our second group photo of the day.
When we were done at the WWII Memorial, we hopped back on the bus and made our way to the other side of the reflecting pool, where we spent nearly two hours touring the Korean War Memorial, Vietnam Memorials, and Lincoln Memorial.
About a 15-minute drive from the National Mall area, just on the other side of the Potomac, is Arlington National Cemetery. We arrived close to an hour before a 3:00 p.m. “Changing of the Guard” at the Tomb of the Unknowns because we had a special treat in store for a couple of our Veterans and their Guardians. As we began filing onto the steps overlooking the Tomb, our Veterans were allowed to get a front-row seat to watch the ceremony. Just after the “Changing of the Guard” was complete, a special ceremony was conducted where a wreath was laid at the foot of the Unknown Soldier’s tomb. Two of our World War II Veterans, Mr. John Tauzy (USN, Retired) and Hagan Kleinpeter (USA, Retired), were escorted with wreath in hand to conduct the somber ceremony. How proud it made us all feel!
Once the ceremony was complete, we quickly moved around to the front of the Amphitheater to take (another!) group photo, as we still had two more stops to make before heading back to Baltimore-Washington International. We took a number of photos, interrupted numerous times by those who wanted to thank the Veterans for their service (a welcome interruption)!
Our next stop was at the Marine Corps Memorial, where we happened upon an Officer promotion in progress. As we filed out of the bus, our Marine Veterans made their way to the spectators as one Marine was being promoted from Captain to Major. Afterwards, the Marines all took a photo together in front of the memorial. We hopped back on the bus and made our way to our final stop - the Air Force Memorial. This was a special stop for one of our Veterans (Mr. Richoux), as his son, who is Air Force MG Richoux, was able to accompany him here before heading back to the Pentagon where he is stationed.
The short bus ride back to the airport gave everyone enough time to eat dinner, and share stories from the day. The excitement and thrill of what was just experienced filled the bus, which was filled with laughter and a sense of joy.
Our arrival at the airport happened to be a little later than it should have been, so we hurried through the terminal to our gate. Southwest Airlines and BWI went above and beyond to make sure our experience was perfect for the just over two-hour flight. We did, however, have one more surprise…
MAIL CALL!
About halfway though our flight home, the Honor Flight staff took control of the intercom to announce that letters from family, friends, and strangers alike had been received. Just like in the military, the each Veteran’s name was called out. Highlighting their years and branch of service, the envelopes were passed out.
It was a sobering, but incredible experience, to see these Veterans transported back 50, 60, and 70 years to near completion of “one last mission”.
We arrived back to New Orleans International Airport around 8:30 p.m., with family, friends, and onlookers anxiously awaiting our return. While the walk back through security was relatively uneventful, as soon as we got through security there was “a welcome home many never got”. Needless to say, the final event of the whole experience was one of the more emotional ones. Volunteers with signs, active and reserve members of the military, VFW volunteers, and passengers waiting for their flights all welcomed our Veterans back with open arms. It was an experience unlike any other, and one I’m sure our Veterans will never forget. We even had a National Guard presence, saluting our Veterans in a gesture that will be remembered forever.
D+1: Reflecting on the Experience of a Lifetime
From all of the staff at Honor Flight Louisiana, we would like to thank all of the Guardians who accompanied us on the trip, the volunteers who added the little something extra to make the experience even better, and the donors who made this possible. This narrative, and the pictures that accompany it, are only able to convey a brief snapshot of the day. The experience gained, emotion felt, and friendships made will undoubtedly last a lifetime, made possible only through your efforts, commitments, and contributions. For that, we thank you, and hope you will continue to help us in making this possible for more of Louisiana’s World War II, Korean War, and Vietnam War Veterans.
On to planning the next mission!