At 3:45am, Argonne Veterans ERG members arrived at Midway Airport to volunteer as “Guardians” during Honor Flight Chicago’s August and September flights to Washington DC. Four World War II veterans were present on the August flight, while September’s flight was the first in Honor Flight Chicago’s history with only Korea and Vietnam War veterans. Whether it was pushing a wheelchair, taking pictures at the memorials, or simply listening to the stories of these amazing Veterans, our employees could not have been happier to assist. Three Argonne volunteers flew in August, and two more flew in September.
Around 8:00pm the same day, a water cannon arch greeted the charter plane returning to Midway Airport, and a surprise homecoming parade occurred with all the Veterans’ family members present. The long day was incredibly emotional for all, and Honor Flight Chicago took quite a few extra steps to ensure some “Honor Flight Magic” occurred. Wearing hats showing the units they served in during the wars, many veterans met other unit members who shared the same experiences while serving 45+ years ago. Some of the Argonne volunteers were paired with veterans from the same zip codes they live in, further strengthening ties within local veteran communities.
Argonne Veterans Group is incredibly thankful for all the work Honor Flight Chicago has done to give these WWII, Korea and Vietnam Veterans the welcome home they deserve. We are incredibly honored to have been a part of these special days, and highly recommend visiting https://www.honorflightchicago.org/highlights-from-our-104th-flight/ and https://www.honorflightchicago.org/highlights-from-our-105th-flight/ for more information about the flights.
Written by: Tom Costello
