Kudos to Honor Flight volunteers

Volunteers serving on the Eastern Iowa Honor Flight Committee need to be applauded for successfully escorting another airplane load of veterans to the Washington memorial on Oct. 16. They accomplished this remarkable feat despite the government's shutdown and barricade setup.

Most visible were the members of the send-off and welcome-home team and the transportation team. The smiling faces who saw us off before 7 a.m. greeted us again at 11 p.m. the same day. Then, during the entire day of travel, the transportation team worked diligently to provide for our every comfort and need. Police escorts even blocked off intersections, a procedure that normally is reserved for visiting dignitaries, to quicken our travel times and thereby lengthen our viewing times at each site. What a special day it was.

Kudos to the Flight Committee members who freely gave of themselves in providing us a full day of meaningful experiences and emotions. We appreciate their selfless acts of service as we remembered our years of service and our comrades who gave it all.

Terry W. Van Gilder

Marion