My Veteran hero — my dad

I often fly into Washington, D.C. to visit my oldest son’s family. It never fails to impress me — flying in along the Potomac River and spotting the iconic landmarks dotting the landscape. Often, as I wait on the curb to be picked up, I sometimes encounter large groups of veterans climbing into buses to visit Washington’s monuments in their honor. The Honor Flight network brings veterans in for a day of honor. The veterans have served in World War II, the Korean War and Vietnam. Many need help, and volunteers are there to make it a special day. The veterans' caps tell you where they served and how proud they are. It always moves me.

Visiting shortly after the World War II memorial opened in 2004, I was eager to visit the memorial. Visiting with family, we all agreed it was a suitable monument to the “greatest generation.” The classically elegant memorial was built to honor the 400,000 who died defending freedom in World War II. It was also built to honor those who returned and those at home who contributed in their own important ways.

My father came home. An intelligence officer in the Army Air Force, he followed the path of the war through England, France, Belgium and Germany. He died just shy of his 90th birthday. Even as he failed, he never forgot every detail of his participation. His memories were crystal clear. He recalled dates, places and people. He told us stories that made the war honest, funny, and terrifying. For many years, he did not talk about “his” war. After my mother died, he became more reflective and began to share some of his incredible experiences.

He would have liked the memorial he would never see. Always a formal coat-and-tie kind of guy like the rest of his generation, he would have approved of the traditional and classic design of the World War II Memorial. As dramatic as its design, the memorial’s impact is multiplied many times over by its location — it stands between the Lincoln Memorial and the Washington Monument.

Towering columns represent the states, territories and the District of Columbia. Each column has a wreath of either wheat or oak symbolizing the United States' agricultural and industrial strength. The Freedom Wall is the most dramatic of the many representations incorporated in the monument. Four thousand golden stars represent the more than 400,000 Americans who gave their lives. The stars recall the wartime flags with blue stars that families hung in their windows, signifying a family member in service. The stars were changed to gold when the family member became a casualty of war.

We stopped at a small park building near the monument where a World War II registry allows a search for those who served in that noble war. We punched in the four letters that brought up the last name of our soldier, and then the first. The familiar name came up, bringing our visit into sharp focus. For a brief flickering second, he was with us.

The World War II Memorial stands proud and is a respected addition to the other memorials that dot our nation’s capital. Each in their own way recognizes the good and brave of our country.

It was a proud moment for our family.

For more information, go to Honor Flight.