50th Operation Homecoming for Honor Flight
On Saturday April 6th, Southeast Florida Honor Flight volunteers will be escorting a full load of veterans on the free trip of a lifetime as the first Honor Flight of 2024 takes off for a daylong trip to Washington, D.C. The flight marks the 50th flight for Southeast Florida Honor Flight, which has transported 3,816 of the area’s veterans on what most call one of the most special and memorable days of their lives. Even if you’re not on the flight as a veteran or volunteer guardian, you can help welcome the veterans home after a very moving day in Washington, DC.
At 8:20 p.m., the veterans, their volunteer guardians, and volunteer staff will be returning from a full day of being honored and celebrated in Washington, D.C., courtesy of Southeast Florida Honor Flight. Every veteran on the flight has stories to share and memories – some they haven’t thought of in decades, and some they have never shared with anyone. Unlike WWII and the Korean War, when veterans returned home from serving our country in the Vietnam War, instead of being welcomed and applauded, many were spat upon, cursed, and treated with hate. It may be decades later, but it won’t cost you a thing to help heal their spirits and give them the welcome home they truly deserve.
One of the veterans on this very special Honor Flight Mission is Mary Anderson-Kokell, who joined the US Army to see the world, and she sure did. She enlisted in 1973, and after basic training at Fort McClellan, Alabama, she started serving in the Signal Corps. It wasn’t long before she was transferred to Military Intelligence/Ordnance and worked in Frankfurt, Germany and in Saigon, Vietnam for ordnance retrieval. Some of her bravery may come to her genetically; her father served in the Army Air Corps in Germany during WWII. Mary says she is proud to be a WAC, and she treasures the forever friendships she found while serving. After returning from the service and finishing college, she got a job in Box Board design. If you’d like to thank Mary for her unflinching courage and service, please come out and join the part at Operation Homecoming on April 6th.
During an Honor Flight mission, veterans on the trip are flown at no cost to Washington, DC, where they are served throughout the day by volunteer guardians who have been trained to ensure the safety and enjoyment of each hero veteran flying and have paid for their own flight. As in the past, a crowd of individuals will gather at Palm Beach International Airport to welcome the veterans home from their epic journey and to honor them for their brave and selfless service to our country. Operation Homecoming, which features music, flags, loads of laughter, and a chance to share the memory of a lifetime with American heroes, is free and open to the public.
Even if you don’t know anyone on the flight, you will find friends and neighbors in the crowd, and you’ll have a chance to cheer the veterans through the final steps of the day most say they remember as second only to their weddings and births of their children. Well-wishers are encouraged to bring signs, flags, and smiles to share with the veterans and guardians as they return, and you are guaranteed to walk away from the event with a lump in your throat, a smile on your face, and gratitude and pride in your heart for these humble heroes you’ve helped welcome home. Remember, some of these veterans never had the welcome home they so deserve. We ask you to help us welcome them home after their Honor Flight mission.
If you, your neighbors, your church or social group, or family and friends are interested in being part of something special, please plan to join us Saturday, April 6th at 8:20 p.m. at Palm Beach International Airport. Volunteers from the ground crew will direct you on where to go, but be ready for a heartwarming homecoming for some very special veterans and volunteers. If you’re coming out to help welcome veterans home at Palm Beach International Airport on Saturday, April 6th, please look out for Mary Anderson-Kokell and let her and all the other veterans know how much you appreciate their dedicated service to our country. To learn more about Southeast Florida Honor Flight and how you can become involved as a volunteer or to donate to the next flight, please visit www.honorflightsefl.org today.
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