I'll admit right up front, I'm a sucker for a first-person account of bailing out of a burning airplane over enemy territory in the middle of the night and living to tell about it.
Those are the kinds of stories unwitting heroes tell - heroes from World War II, the epic global war, the one that brought down Hitler's Third Reich.
Every chance I get to hear a story first-hand from one of those heroes, I listen intently because the reality is that soon their stories will only be read instead of heard. That's because World War II vets are dying at the staggering rate of a thousand a day.
Sixteen million served this nation in that war. More than 400,000 never came home. To put that in perspective, that loss would wipe out the entire population of Arlington - and then some.
It's hard to believe, but it took nearly 59 years for a fitting memorial to be built to honor those who fought in World War II. However, it took just days after the dedication of that memorial in Washington, D.C., back in 2004 for the non-profit organization Honor Flight to begin what is now a herculean effort. Honor Flight takes veterans to Washington to see the memorials built in their honor. But the emphasis in recent years has been on those who served in World War II, those who will fall silent all too soon.
In 2008, Honor Flight opened a North Texas branch. In less than three full years, its group of passionate and committed volunteers has flown 263 World War II vets on two-day trips to Washington. It is a journey that brings grown men - including this one - to tears.
I had the privilege of accompanying the vets on the fourth trip slightly more than a year ago, and I will forever remember one of the most emotional "thank you's" I've ever seen.
More than 40 vets landed at Reagan National Airport. When they walked up the Jetway to the terminal, those ears that don't hear as well anymore and those eyes that don't see quite the same as they used to, were suddenly overwhelmed.
A seemingly endless receiving line of current members of the armed forces shook hands and said "thanks" as the veterans walked into the terminal. A military band played while well more than a hundred greeters, all crammed into the small gate area, cheered and clapped, and the decorations made it look like a military celebration fit for the White House. Some of the arriving vets were shocked, some overjoyed, and one, with tears in his eyes, told me, "I didn't know so many people cared."
The absolute highlight of this wonderfully planned journey was the National WWII Memorial. A volunteer Honor Flight "guardian" escorted each man, tending to both emotional and physical needs. Some required full-time oxygen therapy, some were in wheelchairs, but all got to visit the memorial for the first time.
I watched the eyes of these men who shaped the course of history around the world. Many welled up with tears at the sight of the collective "thank you" from America. The monument's 56 tall, proud pillars represent each of the states and territories (at that time) and the District of Columbia and the massive arches representing the Pacific and Atlantic theaters of war.
It's a memorial that speaks of strength and courage and loss.
Many of the men stopped in silent thought at the Freedom Wall, staring at the Field of Gold Stars on the gently curved granite. Each of the 4,000 stars represents 100 men who died in defense of this nation. I could see it on the visiting vets' faces: They wondered why they weren't among those lost. Why did they survive and not those they fought alongside?
These men come from a time when you went to war, then returned, without near the support our troops have and deserve today. Yet they too, lived on, humble to the end.
Thank goodness for the efforts of Honor Flight DFW to let these fine Americans know that, if they ever once doubted, they should doubt no more: We are so thankful for their service and patriotism.
From left to right, back row: Robert "Bob" Miller (Air Force), 91; Doug Dunbar; Leon Long (Air Force), 92; Billy Baker (Air Force), 92. Front row seated: Peter Belpulsi (Army), 94; Roy Roper (Air Force), 93. Pictured at the Vintage Flying Museum in Fort Worth.
Honor Flight DFW depends on donations. For more information, visit honorflightdfw.org.
