This weekend many American’s will celebrate memorial weekend in many different ways. This weeks troop was to celebrate and honor veterans from all branches of military. but this troop was more than that and caught me a bit off guard.
B.J. / Walter / Wolfgar
I first thought we were going to celebrate these men and women for their duty to our country. however it was deeper then that, I feel privileged to be able to help in some small way to bring levity to this group people that we were there to honor.
Heartland Hospice and the Jacksonville Fire Department hosted a movie screening of the World War II Veterans documentary called Honor Flight. Members of the community, as well as veterans were invited to the event and hope to raise money to be donated to the Honor Flight charity. This charity raises money to send WWII veterans to the WWII memorial in Washington DC.
As most of us know when Hospice is involved time is limited and special for families of the patient. What Honor Flight does is give a WWII veteran the opportunity to go and visit WWII memorial wall that was built in 2004, nearly 60 years after the war. There are approx 1 million WWII Vets still living and many never got to be honored for their duty. Heartland Hospice and Honor Flight helps to correct this by sending WWII vets to the wall so they can see and feel as though they were not forgotten.
So this troop even though it was a small event serves a huge service in honoring these brave men and women for doing what was asked of them. Among the vets that were there to be honored were two from squad7 who also were honored for their service. BJ and Larry both were invited to walked up and receive a Pin and thank you from the crowd.
Larry Franklin
B.J. Savage
it was a bitter sweet event to celebrate the WWII vets for their duty but also knowing their time was very limited here among us. That’s makes this troop a special on for me, one to remember, one to keep a hold on when I celebrate this memorial day weekend.
Links to note: Honor Flight
Photogapher: Dan Van slyke,Jr. / Link to all the images
TK-50167 STORMTROOPER 
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