by jodi marneris
December 2022--Traditionally, the biggest season for giving is the month of December. Lots of giving to charities across the globe and just an overall spirit of generosity that peaks this time of the year.
There are, though, many organizations that give all year round—one of them being the Honor Flight Network, a group that works tirelessly to give veterans the appreciation and honor they deserve during a one-day journey to Washington D.C. It’s an unbelievable experience for all who are involved—the veterans, the support staff and everyone who comes out to the airport to welcome them back home.
I know the joy of the excitement at the airport as there was a really large group of our family members and friends who were at Midway Airport in Chicago to welcome my dad back home in 2016. If I had to guess, I’d say there were thousands of people at the airport waving banners, holding posters and cheering as the hundreds of veterans who served in Korea disembarked from the plane.
But what I felt is only a fraction of the emotions felt by my cousin Gina—who got involved with this organization six years ago and has been assisting at the airport and going along on the trip to the nation’s capital.
Gina first learned about Honor Flight in 2013 when her dad, my uncle Frank, signed up for the journey. He finally was able to go on the flight when 2016, when they were taking veterans who served in Korea.
“The morning of the flight, I drove him to the airport at 3 a.m.,” Gina said. “I did not listen to the instructions to drop him at the front doors where volunteers were waiting to greet the veterans. Instead, I went into the airport with him and for the next two hours I saw the inside operations of the morning send-off.”
She watched the check-in process, the meet-and-greet, the veterans taking their “yearbook” picture, and the participants getting a grey honor flight t-shirt. “All I kept saying was this is so cool and how I would love to be a part of this operation,” Gina said. A volunteer heard her say that to her dad and told her when she returned that evening to welcome her dad, he would give her application to become a volunteer.
Soon after, Gina received her “orange shirt” and began volunteering. “In May 2016, I was so excited to be able to escort my own Uncle Lou through this amazing process. We both got to share this awesome experience together,” Gina said.
Her job as an “orange shirt” is to welcome the veterans at the airport in the wee hours and get them checked in. “I call the morning shift organized chaos. I get them out of their cars and into a wheelchair, which most of the veterans butt heads with us volunteers about, get them to the correct area, get them through the airport and then to their boarding gate. I get them coffee and doughnuts while they wait for their turn to board and help them onto the plane. My morning shift is now done,” she said.
She heads back to the airport for the return flight. “The night shift is much easier, but more emotional,” Gina said. “We are there to help the families who have gathered to welcome home their loved ones. We try to keep the crowds orderly while waiting for the plane to land.
“Then it is just the most beautiful sight to see the emotions on the veterans face to have finally gotten the welcome home they so rightfully deserved,” she said.
Honor Flights were temporarily suspended during the height of the pandemic but have since returned to a regular schedule. Gina was back at it and received a “promotion,” if you will.
“I was honored to be a “green shirt” volunteer, also called a guardian. Every veteran has their own guardian for the day to walk side-by-side with them through each step of their amazing day. Here is where I was able to experience what a day was like for the veterans,” Gina said.
“I got to see and hear firsthand the emotions of each hero. I got to see the reactions of them visiting their own memorial. Some breaking down in tears at each memorial. While the veterans most likely will talk about this day for the rest of their lives, so will I”
The most recent flights were filled with veterans who served in Viet Nam, and Gina was thrilled to be able to be there for our cousin Ken, who took the flight this year (2022).
Gina, who has volunteered for roughly 50 flights to date, also has recruited her husband, Jim, to volunteer for Honor Flight, and he, too, proudly wears his orange shirt.
The two also volunteer for Operation Locate a Hero (OLAF), where they search out other veterans and let them know about the Honor Flight. “We go to VFW and American Legion posts, senior fairs, car shows, colleges, airports, churches and anywhere we get invited to attend or speak,” she said.
This volunteer work is a labor of love for Gina—and all who volunteer. “The joy and happiness I get from being a part of this organization is really something hard for me to explain,” she said. “In some small way I feel I am honoring my dad’s memory by continuing something he was so passionate about.”
The Honor Flight is a way to say thank you to our veterans for their service. This blog is my way to say thank you to Gina, Jim and all the volunteers, for their service.
For more information about the Honor Flight network and how it serves our veterans, or if you are interested in becoming a volunteer, write to them at info@honorflight.org or visit honorflight.org.
To leave a comment, scroll down to bottom of page. Thanks!
Thank you, Jodi, for your detailed description of this most amazing experience. I have often wondered how these flights work, so your description gives me a vivid picture. Thank you, Gina, for your important volunteer work, leaving lasting beautiful memories for yourself and for your passengers. And THANK YOU to all of the veterans who gave their ALL for us. I am happy and grateful that you are finally receiving the recognition and thanks that you deserve.