My Honor Flight to Washington, DC
On September 10 to 12, 2026 (Thursday to Saturday), I had a free trip to Washington DC. Honor Flights visited most of the military sites, museums, and memorials of Washington DC. There were 25 veterans (mostly Vietnam War veterans and a few Korean War veterans) and 25 "Guardians" - My older son was my guardian - it was great to bond with him! Most of the veterans used wheelchairs. We did NOT visit the Kennedy Center, White House, Congress, Smithsonian, Holocaust, Native American, or Black History museums. Although we DID visit the FDR, Jefferson, Lincoln, Martin Luther King, Jr., and Pentagon Memorials. The highlights for me were:
- The changing of the guard ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington Cemetery,
- The reception of the hundreds of people (including the police, firemen, bagpipers, and the Honor Guards) to greet and cheer us veterans and guardians on our hour-late flight arrival at SFO on Saturday night! It was certainly different when I came back from Vietnam in 1968! (I felt I had to keep my Vietnam service off my resume when I was looking for a job.)
