Honor Flight – Day 0

Day Zero: 5 hour drive from where I live to Portland. Allergy attack; sneezing constantly for 5 hours. I hurt and I haven’t done anything yet.

Got all checked in at the airport for the flight in the morning. South West Airlines is being fantastic!!

The hotel we are staying at gave a special rate to our program and the Vets. They have a sign up on their marquee saying “Welcome Honor Flight WWII Vets!” and they have a special sign made up in the entry with a “Thank you book” for guests to sign. The entire staff is dressed in Red, White, and Blue for us. AND they are hosting a surprise dinner tonight for the vets and giving them special gifts. My mother and I were talking with one of the regional staff-people and she wants to be able to do this for all of our trips, AND she’s working on planning a Welcome Honor Guard to meet the vets at the hotel for our future trips.

We haven’t even left the state yet, and this is great!

Going on this trip also are my uncle and one of my cousins as guardians. And another cousin has arranged for storage of the wheel chairs we got donated for the program, and is arranging transport.

We are all meeting tonight for dinner then meeting the vets for dessert.

Welcome Sign

The sign from the hotel lobby and a special gift from the hotel owner to the vets

Sign to Banquet Room

~It had read WW I – but one of the Vets pointed it out to VERY embarrassed staff and it was fixed~

Table Decorations

A gift from one of the volunteers – she collected donations and bought all the Vets hats, they read “The Greatest Generation”

~The hat in the back that has a branch on it was her father’s hat I believe~