Dear Editor:
In reference to the article written by Marvin and Dorothy Riegel-Phillips, just to let you know I was one of the faces looking out of the bus window.
I would have to say it was an awesome experience seeing thousands of people taking time out of their busy lives to line the highway for miles and miles just to acknowledge the worth of 74 veterans.
Dozens of these men and women had experienced some of the worst horrors of war and had lived it over and over in their minds for 40-plus years trying to make sense out of why they were there. Suddenly within a 24-hour period realized that you the people that were standing and waving during the middle of the night was part of the reason.
Going to see the war monuments would have been reason enough to go to Washington, D.C., but to go with and stand beside 73 other veterans and to share stories that even they had not mentioned before was a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
Since returning to Missouri I personally have signed up eight veterans for future flights and will try to remind as many as possible that this Honor Flight is not just a trip. It is indeed a healing voyage that can make so many vets understand that their lives have a huge meaning and that they are not forgotten.Once again, thanks to all of you that lined the last miles of highway and those that met us at the end of the trip, I can say for sure your actions will never be forgotten.
We must also thank the hundreds and hundreds of volunteers who spend massive hours in the background getting ready for these flights. Without your total dedication to the task facing you it would not be possible for a single flight let alone the 43 flights that have originated and ended in Central Missouri.
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