Neighbor News
Sgt Maj John Champe participated in an Honor Flight at Dulles International Airport
Veterans from the mid-west were greeted and honored as they arrived at Dulles
The Northern Region Virginia Society Sons of the American Revolution formed a Color Guard to greet and honor 110 veterans as they arrived on a Chicago Honor Flight on April 15. Three Virginia SAR Chapters participated: Sgt Maj John Champe Chapter with Ken Bonner and Barry Schwoerer, Fairfax Resolves Chapter with Jim Cordes, and Col. James Wood II Chapter with Paul Christensen, Chip Daniel and Ken Bonnell.
There were two veterans of the Korean War and 108 veterans of the Vietnam War. Nine veterans served in the United States Air Force, sixty-six veterans served in the United States Army, Eight veterans served in the United States Marine Corps, and twenty-seven veterans served in the United States Navy. There were two female veterans in the group.
The Honor Flight network is a non-profit organization dedicated to remember and honor our Nation's veterans. Honor Flights are a visible and positive way to say THANK YOU to veterans who have served our country in the United States Armed Forces. Many veterans, particularly those from the Vietnam ear, receive a long-overdue WELCOME HOME and a "Day of Honor" at the various war memorials in the Washington DC area. The veterans are treated to an all expenses paid trip to Dulles International Airport. Buses, with police motorcycle escorts, then take them on a tour of each war memorial in the Washington DC area. Volunteers, known as guardians, accompany veterans to ensure safety and assist with mobility, often helping them navigate to landmarks like the Lincoln Memorial and Arlington National Cemetery.
