Last week, my dad and 100 other veterans were flown to Washington, D.C., for a day of honor and remembrance at no cost to them. The one-day trip brought back and created many new memories for the veterans and their families.

The process began about two years ago when my sister signed up my dad, a Korean War veteran. A couple months ago, we received the call that my dad would be on the June Honor Flight. His day began at 4 a.m. when we dropped him off at Midway Airport. The Honor Flight crew was right there to welcome him, and at least one volunteer was with him for the rest of the day. This was the 71st flight to the World War II and Korean War memorials.

For the 110 veterans on the flight, the average age of World War II veterans was almost 91, and the Korean War veterans’ average age was 85. Among the honored veterans was Hall of Fame NFL coach Marv Levy. The day ended around 8:30 p.m., when they all returned to Midway and were greeted by approximately 4,000 people, including several news crews, bagpipers, many scout groups, family and friends.

The applause was thunderous and the tears were flowing as the veterans walked through the crowd to their families. This truly was a once-in-a-lifetime experience, not only for the veterans but for their families, too. I will never forget the looks on their faces at the meet-up. Emotions ran high for everyone there. I must applaud everyone involved in the Honor Flight. From the first call to the return celebration at Midway, they handled everything flawlessly.

I must also thank all veterans for their service to this country.

— John Wroblewski, online contributor