As I type this, more than a hundred Veterans from Southeastern North Carolina are en route home to New Bern, NC,  after spending a a day in Washington, DC being honored for their service and sacrifice.

In this same moment, hundreds more Vets are returning home Alabama, Tennessee and Missouri from the same trip.

All of these Vets were hosted by an organization called the  Honor Flight Network. Beginning in 2005, the mission of HFN is to transport Veterans to their national memorials in Washington, DC at no cost to the Vets.   HFN has transported  close to 40,000 Veterans of World War II, Korea and Viet Nam to see the memorials built to honor their suffering and sacrifice.

My friend Dick Ward is on that New Bern flight I mentioned earlier. I can’t wait to hear about what the trip was like for him and his companions.   I know there will be a huge crowd waiting to welcome these heroes home.   Wish I could be in that crowd.

I first heard about HFN several years ago.  The company I own was proud to offer a Pay it Forward grant to HFN (with additional funds from several other individuals who simply wanted to help).     If you’d like to help HFN meet their mission, there are many ways:

1.Make sure all Vets you know know about HFN.   A Veteran application can be downloaded here;

2. serve as a HFN Gaurdian.  Here’s more info on this HONOR;

3. become a HFN Volunteer;

4. donate to HFN on a national or local level; and

5. Spread the word about HFN.

I am a Marine Corps Brat, was married to a Marine, my brother-in-law is retired Army and have countless people close to my heart who are serving or have served in the military.   Organizations like HFN make me proud and humble me with the ways they offer those of us who reap the benefits of Veterans’ service and sacrifice to say THANK YOU.