Every veteran of World War II who is still living should see the World War II Memorial in
The three-quarter page feature in the paper's Life section reported that Honor Flight intends to provide free transportation to
According to
The Honor Flight program was conceived by Earl Morse, a physician assistant, pilot and retired Air Force captain, to honor the veterans he had taken care of for 27 years.
After retiring in 1998, Morse was hired by the Department of Veterans Affairs to work in a clinic in
The Honor Flight Network Web site, www.honorflight.org, notes that there are other groups with similar names who charge fees for flights to visit the WWII Memorial. The Web site also provides information on how people can volunteer to help ensure that a World War II veteran's visit to the memorial is, well, memorable.
Volunteers waved American flags and applause broke out in the gate area as the 36 vets slowly came into the terminal, some waving, some saluting, some obviously startled by the reception. More than a few tears were shed by both the vets and their greeters.
Those of us fortunate enough to have visited the World War II Memorial know that the monument feels almost sacred. It inspires deep feelings of awe and gratitude for the hundreds of thousands of American patriots who fought in that war. An organization that seeks to bring to that memorial the very men and women it was built to honor deserves front page recognition and a story on every television newscast. Kudos to USA Today for spotlighting the program. Hopefully, such a feature in “
And on this Memorial Day weekend, the staff of the Culture and Media Institute wishes to extend to our veterans, active duty military members and your families, our profound gratitude and appreciation for your service to our country. May God richly bless you all.
Kristen Fyfe is senior writer at the Culture and Media Institute, a division of the
