The southern Utah Honor Flight Veterans were joined by another honor flight from Salt Lake City in Washington D.C. and will be given honors at the WWII Memorial on Friday.
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On Wednesday night the veterans got together to swap war stories and talk about the new adventure ahead of them.
Those donations paid off, especially when the veterans exited the plane in Baltimore. Twenty of the Utah veterans on the trip served in World War II, and two in the Korean era. “I lived through all of them and I got wounded in one but it was worth it”, he said.
“We never felt safe and satisfied until we were behind submarine nets in a port someplace”, he said.
Fifteen northwest Iowa veterans plan to go on an Honor Flight on Saturday.
86 veterans, including 83 from the second World War, will enjoy a breakfast, followed with speeches, before taking off for the nation’s capital.
“It’s like sending my kid off to camp”, Joni said.
And at 89 years old, Harold is a youngster on this trip.
“It is just so heartwarming to see these veterans come back to their welcome home”, Harris adds. There’s even a centenarian on the trip.
WWII combat Marine veteran Don Jardine of Ephraim, Utah read a letter written to him by friends which said “Dear Don; This letter is to honor you as a veteran for the time you fought in the Saipan, Tinian campaigns during World War II”.
“Right now, I couldn’t imagine anything else at that time of what I did. I am always extremely honored to touch the lives of our heroes in such a meaningful way”, she said.
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He may not have left the ground, but Private First Class Richard Jowders got all the bells and whistles the trip provides, and all the gratitude he deserves.
