By Dorothy Meindok
The Post Newspaper Veterans Consultant
October is my favorite month, so I am going to write about some of my favorite veteran things each week this month. This week I want to share Honor Flight Houston and this organization’s very special impact on our nation’s once forgotten but very deserving Viet Nam & Korean War veterans.
Do you know about Honor Flight Houston? Their mission is simple: “The Honor Flight Houston mission is to transport, with a specific priority given to WWII veterans in the East Texas Region and Korean and VietNam War veterans residing in the greater Houston area to Washington, D.C. to visit those memorials dedicated to honor their service and sacrifices and return them home to their families and loved ones.” They deliver their mission with absolutely no cost to the veteran.
Here in Houston, they fly Southwest and out of Hobby Airport. For each trip a deserving veteran is paired up with a companion that accompanies them on the trip to Washington, D.C. and helps make sure their experience is unforgettable. Then, upon their return to Houston family, friends, other veterans, and awesome Americans make their “Welcome Home” a moment to remember.
This “welcome home” is the very first one for many, especially those of the VietNam & Korean Wars because when they came home the first time, many in our nation were suffering from what a lot of our country is suffering from today: division, diversion and deliberate confusion which resulted in an ungrateful nation that left those warriors dejected, rejected and alone due to political and politically correct nonsense. Like the Gulf War vets of later years, Korean War Veterans were simply dismissed, forgotten, and ignored were VietNam Veterans simply were recognized, but in the most negative way, often publicly berated, spit on and name called. As a united group of warriors, our veteran elders overcame, set out to make impact and created far reaching advances in veterans laws, rights, and responsibilities. One of those responsibilities was to never again allow the nation to treat her veterans the way they were mistreated. As a younger veteran who has benefitted so much personally and professionally from their sacrifices overseas and at home, thank you.
Thank you.
It’s just one reason why I hope you will take some time to do one of three things to help honor and welcome home our local veterans with either your time, toil or treasure. Why not make it a Trifecta and go for all three?
1. Check out the Honor Flight schedule and plan to be present at Hobby Airport to greet the flight and participate in the welcome home celebration that ensues. Just check out the heartwarming pics of the most recent return home, you simply can’t not enjoy yourself while spreading the love! and/or
2. Volunteer to be a veteran escort with Honor Flight Houston. Visit their website HonorFlightHouston.org for more details. and/or
3. Donate and raise awareness to keep these flights of honor going. You can donate at the website or on their Facebook page link where you can also spread awareness by “liking” and “sharing” their posts, videos, veteran stories, and other content.
It’s really that simple, just a like and a share to raise awareness is free to do and if you ask me, the very least Americans can do for the sacrifices given.
In these pics of the most recent Honor Flight Houston return home gathering are some of the local warriors I know personally and let me tell you, these men are first class, top notch. They not only served our country at war, losing brothers & sisters in arms, some at arm’s length, they came back to an ungrateful nation and nevertheless continued in service by piloting Life Flight, serving as civilian leaders in industry, law enforcement, counseling, teachers, coaches, writers and more. Each and everyday they make themselves available to support younger veterans, like me and many others, when they could be doing other things, like fishing but they aren’t, instead they are out there teaching us how to overcome, how to cope and reminding us that suicide isn’t the answer – they are keeping the promise and God bless them for it!
Lots coming up the rest of this month & I’ll be sharing those local area events with you next week. Until then, be safe out there! DDM
Dorothy Meindok is The Post Newspaper’s Veterans Consultant. Ms. Meindok served her nation in the United States Navy and is currently a practicing lawyer advocating for our nation’s veterans. Her column appears on Sundays.
