Honor is a hard term to describe. It doesn’t have a color or weight or shape. If someone were to ask me what honor looked like, I’d probably struggle with what to say.
But something happened on May 23, 2012 at 9:31 a.m. at Gate 38 of Reagan National Airport that might change that. A flash mob of sorts broke out. But not like you’ve seen on YouTube with highly choreographed dance numbers or people singing a song in unison. In fact, virtually all of the participants of this “flash mob” didn’t know they would be participating until moments before it happened.
Let me explain. Shortly before 9:30 over the loud speakers, a US Airways gate attendant announced that an Honor Flight of World War II veterans would be arriving momentarily and encouraged anyone passing by to help greet them. Five or six people looked like they were officially part of the welcoming committee, and the rest of the people in the secure section of the airport were regular old travelers going somewhere. Then I had a terrible thought. What if these veterans came off the plane and just those five or six individuals were there to greet them. I walked a gate over to help see the veterans out.
But – then it happened and frankly, I wasn’t expecting it. All throughout the terminal, people left their gates and gathered around gate 38. A few active military personnel in plain clothes approached the gate attendant and politely asked if they could join in the salute within the jet way as the heroes first stepped off the plane. Every human being in the terminal stood at attention and faced the door.
Someone held up an old newspaper from 1945 that had a banner headline that said, “Nazis Quit!” And when I saw that newspaper, I realized that World War II wasn’t just a chapter in a history book. It was men and women who saw an evil like the world has never seen before and traveled across the world to meet that evil. And they defeated it.
I wonder if in 1945, any of those brave soldiers could ever imagine that 67 years later, we’d still be basking in the freedom that they preserved. And some of those heroes were about to walk through Gate 38.
The first soldier walked through the door. Old, frail and needing help walking. And every person I could see in the entire airport stood and applauded. No – maybe cheered is more like it.
But here’s the thing – the applause didn’t stop. For a full 20 minutes, as veteran by veteran stepped out of the jet way, the US Airways wing of Reagan National Airport thundered in appreciation. Travelers stepped out for the opportunity to shake their hand while others held back tears.
This is the America we picture in our heads. Heroes getting a hero’s welcome and those who enjoy the freedom adequately conveying their gratitude.
Now, I know what honor looks like.
Music in the video is “Thank You Soldier” by Joe Brucato
To view a version of the video with crowd sounds and no music, click here.
I loved reading these testimonies about patriotic and loyalty words for American service poeple. I live in San Diego and am amazed and thrilled at the Navy presence here and the honor they receive from these citizens. God bless them and God bless America.
We celebrated my father’s 94th birthday yesterday (July 10,2012). I took him to the Official Opening of the WWII Memorial in 2004. It was amazing to see all those veterans of WWII in one place on the Washington Mall. It was so moving. They were so proud. The organizers had prepared for the aged Vets and had lots of water and EMTs available. The weather leading up to the weekend ceremony was very hot, but a front came through and dropped the temps 20 degrees to the mid 70′s. Divine intervention I’d say. God bless them and America!
I have mixed emotions. My brother served in the US NAVY in the South Pacific. He earned two Bronze Stars and is my hero for what he did.
My brother, like a majority of the young men and women were Democrats who believe Roosevelt led us to victory and is the greatest president we have had.
The majority of those “young” heros alays vote a straight Democratic ticket. They are a BIG reason Obama is our prez.
Those heros saved America in the 1940′s, then they betrayed America in 2008.
They believed, and still do, that America is in her current condition because of Dubya. If you ask then when will Obummer be resonsible for what is happening, they will emphatically state “NEVER”. OH, yeah! They KNOW our country is in trouble, but they refuse to believe any Democrat has any responsibility fo it. More importantly, unless the conversation is damning the conservatives, they refuse to even HEAR anything about America’s condition.
Therefore, not only are they directly responsible for America’s decline, they refuse listen to anything negative and are, therefore, contributing to the continuing decline.
They love America and have an earned right to display their sincere patriotism. The rest of us owe them a profound debt of gratitude for what thy did some 70 years ago, BUT I, personally, have felt my esteem for them tempered because they gave us and support a “leader” and administration that is working desperately working to destroy America and everything that makes her great. That inckudes my brother.
It is because of these American Heroes that you have the right to say what you just did. Politics raises its nasty head when you should be damn glad these men were there for YOU!
God Bless our Troops and Vets! Never Forget!!
@David Taylor, it your pompous attitude that insults these heroes who stepped up and SAVED THE WORLD. If you want to harp the Republican line like a seal be my guest,but keep it off of pages like this that honor people who maybe, just maybe, have a richer and deeper perspective on the world than you could ever comprehend.
though I’m not an Obama fan, I agree with what you’ve said here. using this setting for expressing his discontent is wrong of David Taylor. but he has the right to do so. thank you, Robert B. & Pat from American Legion!
You had a bad experience … My Dad [Paratrooper in France] passed on in 2010 at 92 … he had donkeys for breakfast & couldn’t stand FDR … Truman was considered acceptable for his A-Bomb drop .. may be why he whipped Dewey in a squeeker in ’48 .. I think you need a larger sample size … recall that Ike won as an “R” in 1952.. keep the faith!
Mr Taylor, that is a damming & unsubstantiated statement about WWII vets being slaves to the Democrat Party. I feel insulted! I am a combat veteran who served in WWII Korea and Vietnam. Most of my veteran cohorts are conservatives and very disgusted with the policies of the Democrat Party and especially President Obama. He is in the process of dismantling & demoralizing our military services with his liberal policie. I request you withdraw you blanket statement
SIR YOU ARE A TRUE JACKASS.FEEL FREE TO LEAVE THIS COUNTRY ON THE NEXT AVAILABLE FLIGHT..
David, the attitudes you expressed in your comment are exactly the kind you accuse others of having. We will never “fix” what is wrong with our country while fighting one another. We have the right to disagree but not to hate one another. The Bible says to honor those in authority because God establishes authority and we all have leaders, managers, and bosses. Thus I will honor our elected officials from both parties including President Obama and whomever the next Republican president is. If we do not agree with a politician we can not vote for them. However, this article was honoring our veterans, and not about politics. Please turn off 24-7 Fox news (or any cable news that consists of commentators continually bashing others) and explore what is really happening in our world. We need every citizen to work together. Please think about it. Thank you.
These dear veterans aren’t the cause of anything that has anything to do with Obama.! For Pete’s sake, there are not enough of them alive right now to count for a cow’s sneeze, much less to have had the power to have put Obama in office. They are my heroes, and as taps is played for the last time for each of them, they will still be my heroes. You are full of soup, buddy, and arrogant and disrespectful..
what a fool. if you are old enough to legally vote thenyou should be inteligent enough to keep your asinine opinions to yourself.
just be damn glad that military like their generation. fought and died to give you the luxury of being a great idiot.
It’s an honor to receive these veterans. God Bless them and God Bless America. We need more men like these people who love, honor and respect our country! We are proud to be Americans – the land of the free and brave (let’s not forget that – all the freedoms we cherish and enjoy, thanks to men like them)
I served in the British Army and was honored to be invited on an “HONOR FLIGHT” on May 12th.this year. It was a wonderful day to spend it with fellow WWII veterans. Thanks to everyone who makes these days possible. We too were honored and treated as royalty. God Bless all the allied service men and women of WWII and GOD BLESS AMERICA.
and sir….GOD bless you too..Thank you from America
Tell me, how does one be invited to participate on an “Honor Flight”? My father is a Korean vet, 88 years old.
http://www.honorflight.org/about/index.cfm
Is the place to start. We here in southwest Missouri have taken all our Vet’s to Washington already. I went on the first flight out of Springfield MO 3 years ago. Look for a locetion near to you. I hape this helps .
Nice, very nice and classy
My father, two uncles and father-in-law were in World War II so I have a very deep sense of honor when I see one of these heroes from the Greatest Generation.
There is another way to honor our veterans and that is to visit the website findagrave.com. It is supported by thousands of volunteers who not only documemt the burial location of our military heroes, but also take photographs of their headstones and put them on the memorial, which was established on the website. The website also documents other family members as well.
My Father was one of those heros that fought in WW2, and we buried him ysterday,July 11th,there aren’t many of them left, we must honor them all. I am honored to be his son and proud of his service to our country,and I am a Viet Nam veteran and proud of my country.
god bless you and your family, so sorry for the loss of your father. i am honored to care for Veterans as a VA nurse. thanks for your service as well!
God bless these and all veterans. There aren’t many WWII vets left, and we need to cherish these who live on. There are fewer each year.
This is a fabulous video that I’ll be glad to pass on!
Blessings –
Elizabeth
while i never saw action, i am proud to have served and warn the uniform during the korean conflict.
I had a small company for many years.
I named it “American Eagle Sales” as a combination of my love of the USA,,, and the Boy Scouts of America.
Friends and customers have surrounded me with gifts of eagle statutes and plaques.
I had a beard for many years,,, it turned gray as hair has a tendency to due with old age. One St. Patrick’s Day,,, I dyed my hair and beard green. Without my knowledge,,, one of the employees took my picture,,, framed it with the words “Proud to be Irish”. I asked them to change the wording,,, “Proud to be Irish,,, Grateful to be American”
We amy have to allow individuals the right to use profanity and say what thy please,,, but shame on us if we permit them to burn OUR FLAG,,, or attempt to distroy our heroes or our heritage.
Smile,,, because God loves us,,,
“God Bless America”
Jim Sullivan
The Warrior – a song I wrote being played on Radio today – was inspired by events like this !!!!! God Bless our Warriors Past ,Present & future —- Kenny Holliday
My heart goes out to the vets. The land we live in today would not be what it is without the soldiers who fought so we could live. Love to all the vets and soldiers serving today.
could you please post a revised video with the original sound, if it is available?
JL – the video with the original sound is linked at the end of the blog post above.
Thank you for sharing that with us. I think it’s too easy for us to forget what our world could be like today if it had not been for those brave fighters.
I wish I could have been there to participate in honoring those vets. three of my Uncles fought in WWII One of them was wounded just before I was born so I have had the honor to bear his name. My Uncle Harry was a humble man who never spoke of his war experiences but he was a great American. He and my other uncles are all gone now and I wish I had said more to them about how proud I was of them. They and all those who served were and are our “Greatest Generation”. we must never forget the sacrifices they made in order for us to be free. Thank you for sharing that video with us.
I was 17 when WWII started,packed detonators and tracers for the navy during the summers, am the widow of two WWII vets, and know how many sacrifices were made by all, including civilians, but I do not believe we were THE
Greatest Generation. That one is yet to come…the one that will establish real peace and provide good lives for all our citizens and for the world. That day WILL come.
We had the honor of standing there and cheering for our Veterans. We were on our way to see my brother in law, Michael Shoemaker who was injured over in Afghanistan. It brought tears to my eyes when I was standing there and more and more people were gathering around, cheering for our soldiers. Our freedom is not free and I honor those who put their lives on the line for us here back at home. Thank you so much! I am proud to be an American.
THIS IS PROBABLY THE MOST PROFOUND WELCOME I HAVE EVER SEEN. BROUGHT TEARS TO MY EYES. I WISH I WAS THERE TO HONOR THOSE GUYS, THEY TRULY DESERVE IT, MORE THAN ANYOTHER GROUP I CANT THINK OF.
I’M HAPPY TO SEE PEOPLE SHOWING THE RESPECT THESE PEOPLE SO RIGHTLY DESERVE. RESPECT AND GRATITUDE FOR THESE GUYS IS WELL DESERVED.
I’M A PROUD VIET NAM VET, PROUD THAT I HAVE SERVED. WHEN I CAME HOME PEOPLE TRIED TO MAKE ME FEEL GUILTY ABOUT SERVING.
I’M GLAD TO SEE THAT THE PEOPLES ATTITUDES HAVE CHANGES SOOOOOOOOOO MUCH.
GOD BLESS ALL VETERANS AND MILITARY MEN AND WOMEN.
WELCOME HOME ! THANKS FOR SERVING !!
I served in World War2 in CBI China Burma India and my son is in the Air Force and has been in Iraq twice. GOD bliss our men and women in the military and God bliss America
Amazing!!!!
God Bless American and these men who served so honorably! Thank you all!
I am the daughter of a deceased WWII and Korean Conflict veteran. After receiving a Purple Heart in the Pacific fighting the Japanese as a turret gunner in a B 52 that went down, he then served in Korea before returning home to his wife and my older sister. I was born shortly after and my family spent the next twenty five years traveling around the country as he put thirty years in the Air Force serving his country. During those years, he never spoke of his experiences until he began to have grandchildren who asked him about all his medals. It was then that we realized what he had done that qualified him to be called a hero as he was at his memorial service. All our heroes need to be told this before they have the flag draped over their caskets and hear the bugle play taps and the guns echo a salute. My father would have loved to have been on one of the memorial flights, but for the last ten years of his life, his health did not allow him to travel freely, as he previously did. The film clip brought fresh tears to my eyes and I would have loved to have been a part of it.
My tears flowed heavily while watching this beautiful video as I remembered our father and my father-in-law who were both proud to be WWII veterans. They cherished their service all of their lives. They were avidly involved in the VFW & American Legion till their ends. My father-in-law died at 85 in 2005 and Dad died at 88 in 2009. they were both given military honors at their funerals. Thanks, Dads, for teaching me the true meaning of patriotism.
Cherri Gram, this is what Honor Flight is all about, doing what it takes to get our heroes down to DC to see their memorial, whether providing oxygen, medic staff, etc. I’m the one holding up the newspaper in this video and have been volunteering with Honor Flight for 3 years now. It’s the best organization I’ve ever been affiliated with. Meeting these heroes almost on a weekly basis never gets old and very emotional. To understand what Honor Flight is about watch “This is Honor Flight” on you-tube and have a tissue handy. Thanks to our GREATEST GENERATION for we are losing them at the rate of 1,000 a day.
Bud – I’m glad you found this video. Some have posted earlier that you holding the paper was their favorite part! Thanks for volunteering.
Very touching video. Thanks for sharing. I served in the Women Marine Corps in 1959-60 during peace time. But having served in the military gives me a greater appreciate of our country & the price paid for our freedom. We live in the best country in the world!!!! Thank God for America!!! My heart is touched every time I see the flag still flying high.
I was proud to serve in the USAF in Korea in 1953 & 54 and and spent two months in the hospital at K-9. I also spent time in Viet Nham in 1968 & 69. I retired from the ISAF in 1972 with 20 years and a 70% disability. I was one of the lucky ones and I thank the Lord every day. My wife and I have been married 55 years and she is a real military wife and I am very proud of her.God bless all of you men and women and God bless the USA.
God Bless Barack Obama and God Bless the United States of America and I will work even harder every day to re-elect the second or even the first greatest President of the Unted States of America; BARACK OBAMA
I will work even harder every day to re-elect the second greatest or maybe the greatest President of the United States of America; Barack Obama
Thank you, thank you for showing my reply to BARACK OBAMA!!!!
now have you not shown your ignorance in it’s highest form.
honor our vetrans not obommbo.
hope more of us vets attack you stupidity.
My son recently finished 4 years of service in the Marines. A big highlight of his time served was when he was honored to be chosen to participate in the 65th annual ceremony at Iwo Jima and the best part of that was meeting some of the WWII veterns who actually fought there.
Thank you to all who have served, who are serving and who plan on serving!!! God bless each one of you and your families.
I am a veteran of Indian Airforce.Retired after 15 years of service in 1975.When i read the above article I feel proud of all the veterance througout the world. They stood for a cause