Honor Flight – Top of Virginia – Mission #16
Heading Out on an Adventure!
I’m so excited for this adventure! I’ve been looking forward to it for several weeks now. This will be my fourth mission as a guardian. It’s truly an honor for me to be able to recognize and show gratitude for the sacrifice and service of our veterans.
An Awesome Day!!
On April 29, 2023, Honor Flight Top of Virginia (HFToV) successfully completed its 16th mission. Have you heard of Honor Flight before? The mission of Honor Flight is one of gratitude. This amazing non-profit organization celebrates America’s veterans with a day of honor in our nation’s capital. During this day, veterans visit the memorials dedicated to their service and sacrifice. The best part? The trip is completely free for veterans. Mission #16 was a wonderful experience for everyone involved.
The Veterans
Mission #16 was a very special day. HFToV had the pleasure of hosting 40 veterans from different branches of the military, including the Air Force, Army, Marines, and Navy. These vets represented several different conflicts. We were fortunate enough to have a World War II and several Korean veterans in attendance. But most were verterans of the Vietnam War. Each veteran was accompanied by a guardian who assisted them throughout the day and made them feel like a king or queen. Witnessing the veterans reunite with their comrades and hearing their stories about their service and experiences was an incredibly emotional experience for both the vets and their guardians. I feel honored to have been a part of creating such a special day for these heroes.
The Trip
The trip kicked off early this morning at the Ashburn Senior Citizen Center in Loudoun County. The veterans and their guardians started the morning by bonding over donuts and coffee. It was a great opportunity for everyone to get to know each other before we boarded the bus and headed off to Washington DC for the day.
World War II Memorial
Our first stop of the day was at the World War II Memorial. This wonderful memorial honors the service of 16 million members of the Armed Forces of the United States of America, the support of countless millions on the home front, and the ultimate sacrifice of 405,399 Americans.
The Bulldog Marching Band from Mason, MI showed their appreciation by playing music from the era. They were awesome!
We then boarded the bus and headed over to see the Korean and Vietnam Memorials.
Korean Memorial
Recently, the Korean Memorial received an “update” with a new addition completed in 2022 – the Wall of Remembrance. This wall now includes the names of 36,574 American service members and more than 7,200 members of the Korean Augmentation to the U.S. Army who bravely gave their lives defending the people of South Korea.
The memorial also features 19 seven-foot-tall statues, representing 14 soldiers, three Marines, one sailor, and one airman. What is special about these statues is they are modeled after real members of the armed forces who fought in the Korean War. Each statue has the name of the serviceman engraved somewhere on it.
It’s a powerful and moving tribute to their sacrifice and bravery.
Vietnam Memorial
Just a short walk across the Washington Mall is the Vietnam Memorial. Since most of our veterans are from this war, this memorial can be especially difficult to visit. It was heartbreaking to watch the vets search for the names of their friends and comrades engraved on the wall. Many of them got an etching of the name as a way to remember them. Seeing the men lean against the wall, sobbing as they remember their comrades is an overwhelming emotional experience. No one can walk away from this memorial without feeling deeply affected.
Our next stop took us to Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial for lunch. Chick-fil-A provided us a box lunch for the day. After being outside and walking around all morning everyone was starving!
US Marine Corps Memorial
We boarded the bus again and headed to the US Marine Corps Memorial or more widely known as the Iwo Jima Memorial. A group of Marines performed a 21 gun salute with a bugle man playing taps after the last shot died. Our group had only one Marine vet and he was thrilled to be able to chat with the young Marines.
The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier
After this heartwarming experience, we traveled to the Arlington National Cemetery. Here we visited the museum, watched the changing of the guard and four of our vets laid a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.
Heading Home
This closed out our day in Washington DC however it definitely wasn’t the end of our day! Upon our return to the Ashburn Senior Center, we were greeted by family and friends shouting, clapping and holding up “Welcome Home” signs. For many of our vets, this “Welcome Home” was the first they received for the sacrifice they made for their country.
A Yummy Affair!
To close our day out, Mission BBQ provided us with an awesome dinner. Guardians and Veterans had the opportunity to share the days events with loved ones. As everyone ate and wound down, a feeling of peace and contentment filled the room. Everyone knew this day was a very special one that would be remembered for a lifetime.
Continuing the Mission
Honor Flight Top of Virginia Mission #16 was a truly special experience for everyone involved. It was an honor to be able to provide this opportunity to our veterans. I am grateful for their service and sacrifice. I’m also grateful for the opportunity to give back and show my appreciation for the veterans as a guardian. But this trip would not have been possible without the countless behind the scene volunteers and donors who made the trip possible.
If you are interested in supporting Honor Flight Top of Virginia or know a veteran who would benefit from the trip, please visit their website for more information. Let’s continue to honor our veterans and show them how much we appreciate their service and sacrifice.
If you or someone you know has been apart of an Honor Flight Mission, please tell me about your day in the comments below. I would love to hear about it!
Thank you for visiting with me at
Down Home at Dee’s
Subscribe to Down Home at Dee’s and join Litten, Tigger and me on our adventures of Exploring Life Every Day!
