Honor Flight provides powerful experience

I want to express gratitude to both the Eastern Iowa Honor Flight and the citizens of the Cedar Rapids area.

On April 24, I had the privilege to be a “guardian” for one of the World War II veterans on the honor flight out of Cedar Rapids.

First of all, the Eastern Iowa Honor Flight extended their services to Central Iowa veterans, including residents of the Iowa Veterans Home in Marshalltown, and as a psychologist who has worked with veterans for many years, I am so appreciative of this organization's commitment to all World War II veterans.

Everyone involved in the leadership of Eastern Iowa Honor Flight makes an effort to respectfully provide the veterans with a day to remember. But I also was impressed and amazed with the hundreds of community members of the Cedar Rapids area who came out to the airport at 10:30 p.m. to welcome home these veterans with an unforgettable tribute to crown their memorable day.

While visiting all of the memorials in Washington D.C., veterans cannot help but remember various events from the war years and it is likely that some of those events included painful memories. But the respectful way that the honor flight was conducted, along with the warm welcome from the community upon the return home, provided a powerful experience of appreciation and new, additional, wonderful, healing memories were created.

Thank you to everyone for making these honor flights such a success!

Mark Minear

Marshalltown