By: Chandra Capps Kendall, Associate, Daughter of Chandler H. Capps, Jr. 28th Infantry Division, Battle of the Bulge Soldier (deceased)
Soldiers, Veterans. While we enjoy our everyday activities and lay our head on the pillow each night, they are the reason we can enjoy Freedom and sleep without worry. These are the men and women who defied fear and looked death in the face. Back home, they had families that loved and lost. They had courage, endured extreme cold, fought the perseverance and engineering of the German’s, faced Japanese suicide bombers, POW camps, and countless other odds that were given them. I am talking about our WWII Veterans. We can never repay them for what they gave us, priceless freedom. The average age of a WWII Veteran is 91, and we lose over 600 of them every day.
In thinking of how I could do my part in thanking them, I became a volunteer for the Honor Flight organization. This organization takes the Veterans to Washington DC to see their WWII Memorial, Arlington Cemetery, Korean War Memorial, Vietnam Memorial, and the Iwo Jima Memorial. They are often greeted by school children who thank them for their service, 3 star Generals, and often Bob Dole, who will stand as long as he can to greet them, and then return to his wheelchair. This trip is free of charge to the Veteran. I serve as a Guardian on the flight, assisting the Veterans with their needs, whether it is pushing their wheelchair, getting them food, helping them on and off the bus, tending to their needs. The Guardian does not go for free, we pay all our expenses. I would like to say a special thanks to Southwest Airlines, who donate several tickets per flight to the Veterans. These flights are all over the United States, and Southwest is very generous in honoring our Veterans. I have had the privilege of taking some of our Veterans from Georgia, Florida, and South Carolina on these trips.
The Veterans are often surprised that I would take time out of my schedule to volunteer to help get them to Washington. I am amazed by their surprise. They endured the hardships of war, freezing foxholes, enemies firing at them, wounds, taken prisoner, leaving loved ones, seeing their comrades die. I can never feel as though I have done enough, this is the least I can do.
As we reflect on the upcoming Veterans Day, lets remember the 291,557 of our young men and women in their prime who gave their lives in battle on foreign soil during this war, and lay in still unknown graves, and beneath the white crosses, the brothers, sons, nephews, cousins, and future generations that we lost, as well as countless others who were wounded and still carry the scars today, mental and physical.
These are truly great men and women, and when they are gone, a part of our hearts, history, integrity and courage unlike any other will be gone forever.
If you or a WWII Veteran you know has not been to their memorial in Washington, please contact honorflight.org or call 937-521-2400.
