This year on Veterans Day the Residents were treated to a special presentation by two of our volunteers who are veterans and who recently went on an Honor Flight to the World War II National Memorial in Washington, DC.
The Residents gathered in the auditorium and watched an interesting presentation about Honor Flight. Then Rev. Harold Black and Mrs. Josephine Dresser, both WWII veterans, gave a talk about their experiences doing an Honor Flight.
Rev. Harold Black, a United Methodist Pastor, offers our Residents an ecumenical service each month. He was a Navy veteran and served during World War ll. Although he did not experience combat during the war, he did sail on an aircraft carrier for over a year and a half and went around the world. He commented “I couldn’t pay for that trip today if I wanted to.” Harold felt very honored to go on Honor Flight, but more so he was humbled by what he experienced. At each of the war memorials he visited, he was touched by the attention drawn to the many hundreds of thousands of service men and women who sacrificed their lives for freedom. He told our Residents that we need to appreciate the many freedoms we have in his country, because someone else had sacrificed themselves for them. He commented that this being an election time of the year, he always works all voting day at the polls. He does this volunteering as a way to honor the people that gave their lives for his freedom.
Josephine Dresser, one of our faithful volunteers, also spoke about her World War II experiences. While she did not serve in the U.S. forces, she was enlisted in the Royal Army Service Corp (RASC) for her native Great Britain. She is proud to say that she served in the same regiment as the current Queen Elizabeth II and remembers her being an ambulance driver in London during the war. In fact she said “the Queen and I enlisted the very same month and year, we were both seventeen and a half. I don’t know about her mother, but mine was quite surprised when I came home and said I enlisted.” Josephine is an avid photographer and she shared her beautiful slides of her Honor Flight trip with the Residents. She is an energetic senior with a twinkle in her eye and a smile for everyone she meets when she volunteers at the Home.
Both of these deserving veterans said their Honor Flight experience was a memory they will treasure forever. A true high point in their lives! Thanks to all our Residents and their family members who are veterans. Their service and sacrifice to our country is remembered and appreciated by those that came after them.
