Big Apple Honor Flight - Mission #5: Sat., May 10, 2025
On a very early Saturday. Morning, approximately 80 Veterans and 70 Guardians, and volunteers came together for Big Apple Honor Flight Mission 5, their largest ever! VVA126 Chapter participants included Vietnam Veterans Fred Gasior, Marty Edelman, and Michael Moreno; coupled with their assigned Guardians - AVVA Chapter Members Marleen "Molly" Levi, and Michelle DellaFave (every Veteran was assigned a Guardian)! The mission is to fly veterans to Washington, DC for a spectacular day to see the monuments erected in their honor amid a backdrop of appreciation, respect, recognition, remembrance, and supreme patriotism! At an early 6 am check-in at Resorts Casino in Brooklyn, we were treated to a very nice breakfast. At 7 am, we boarded buses to transport us to LaGuardia Airport with a convoy escort, which included a veteran motorcycle escort with members of Rolling Thunder, Patriot Guard Riders, Blue Knights, Nam Knights, and NYPD. At the airport, Veterans were warmly welcomed with a procession of the FDNY lined up with cheers and applause! An opening ceremony before flight departure included memorable remarks by BAHF Ed xxxx, LaGuardia Commissioner Mark Giordano, Department of Veterans Affairs Commissioner James Hendon, and entertainment by The American Bombshells! (Very moved by Mark's special recognition of my late life partner, Patrick Gualtieri.)
An unmistakable positive, warm, and friendly vibe filled the room as Veterans connected with each other (and their Guardian), sharing much common ground. As the day unfolded and excitement filled the air, the 'Welcome Home' and 'Thank You for Your Service' messages echoed loudly! All Veterans across the board - no political divide... gender... race... religion... equally honored throughout the day... with wheelchair accommodations provided too. Special recognition for the one WWII veteran aboard! WOW! Having been scanned with a careful check-in/acceptable ID, we boarded our American Airlines charter flight to Washington, DC, Reagan National Airport, in a very short 45 minutes. Patriotic decor filled the plane to further enhance the experience! More reception in DC with applause and cheer, making every Veteran feel so welcome, honored, and remembered! WOW! With spectacular sunny weather in DC, we then boarded buses to transport us throughout the day - our itinerary started with: the Marine Corps Memorial and Arlington National Cemetery, enjoying a rather good lunch on route! At Arlington... we witnessed the Changing of the Guard - Tomb of the Unknown Soldier - a very solemn event done with such exact precision (lots of picture taking)... next stop was: the amazing WWII Memorial with a group picture of all Veterans in front of the beautiful Rainbow Pool waterworks; semi-circular fountains and waterfalls. Then, onto the Lincoln Memorial, Korean War Veterans Memorial, and Vietnam Veterans Memorial. WOW! With grandeur and majestic presence... very emotional for many Veterans and Guardians as well... we had ample time to do 'etchings' at 'The Wall' (names of deceased inscribed) special to Veterans... and with the gracious help of others, successfully accomplished (for a dear friend, Bill, who lost several close friends)... 'it takes a village' as a helpful Guardian remarked... so true. We then departed for a nice dinner at Sheraton Pentagon City before we left for Reagan Airport and our flight back to LGA. Another special surprise for Veterans - a 'mail call' for everyone secured from family/friends and distributed on our return flight - very emotional for many Veterans. Upon arrival home, we were met with an incredible wall-to-wall people - a Welcome Home Rally in full glory - spectacular, heartwarming, and WOW!
A jam-packed day but well-paced... filled with such kindness, camaraderie, friendships (new and old), generosity, helpfulness, positivity, and much more - giving pause as to why we can't live this way every day... maybe we can!
Special kudos to the outstanding leadership of BAHF, Mark Giordano, and his volunteer team, including support staff and medical resources, for their incredible organization and coordination of the many, many moving parts. Mission #5 accomplished - Well Done!!!
Respectfully submitted,
Molly Levi