Page 76 - Senior Link Magazine Winter 2017- Online Magazine

HONORING SENIORS
The 2017 Texas

South Plains Honor

Flight Travel Log

by Larry A. Williams and Katherine McLamore
Veterans Liaison Co-Chairs, Texas South Plains Honor Flight

Day 1 Day 2
5:30 – 6:00 AM - A total of 143 people (82 of them 7:45 AM –
veterans, with the balance being staff and news media) Vietnam
check in to depart for the sixth annual three-day trip to Memorial
Washington, D.C. - Vietnam
veterans are
6:30 –11:00 AM – During the flight, one of the highlights chosen to lay a wreath at the Vietnam Memorial. This is
of the trip so far is “mail call”. Silence and sniffles fill always an emotional site for all.
the plane as each veteran is handed a packet of letters
and cards. We land at the Baltimore/Washington Airport 9:00 – 9:45 AM - We take a group picture at the most
and enjoy a warm welcome by uniformed personnel and visited memorial in D.C., the Lincoln Memorial.
other patriots.
9:45 – 10:30 AM - The Korean War Memorial - Korean
12:00 PM – United States Capitol - We are greeted by War veterans lay a wreath. Then to Udvar-Hazy Center
Congressman Jodey Arrington where, on the floor of of the National Air and Space Museum, which houses
the Congress, Jodey tells of his first year being the West the Enola Gay aircraft and the space shuttle, Discovery.
Texas Representative.
2:00 PM – Washington Navy Yard - Navy veterans are
3:15 PM - WWII Memorial - WWII veterans are asked selected to lay the wreath. Built in 1799, it is the oldest
to lay a wreath on the Pacific and Atlantic side of the shore establishment in the U.S.
memorial, built to honor the over 400,000 American lives
lost serving their country. We are accompanied by a 5:00 PM – Air Force Memorial - The Memorial features
bagpiper at each stop. three stainless steel spires, ranging from 201 to 270
feet high, evoking the image of the contrails of the Air
5:00 PM – A knowledgeable tour guide accompanies Force Thunderbirds and their famous “missing man
veterans on each bus for the entire three days to go into formation”. A wreath is laid by the Air Force veterans.
historical detail about the sights; then we arrive at the
Hilton Hotel in Alexandria, Virginia. 6:00 PM – We are treated to a great dinner in the hotel
as well as entertainment by a group of men and women
6:00 PM - We enjoy dinner and guest speaker Astronaut/ dressed in 1940’s era outfits who swing-dance for us. The
Author Tom Jones, who talked about his career as an veterans were invited to dance, and many of them do,
astronaut at NASA, including three space walks. with great gusto!

7:30 PM – Day one comes to a close.

76 Lubbock Senior Link