HONOR FLIGHT 2013

HONOR FLIGHT

June 15, 2013

The World War II Memorial is a reminder of the service, sacrifice, unity & victory by the greatest generation. The memorial honors the forty-eight States and the six U.S. territories that existed at the time of the Second World War. Leyte Gulf. The memorial opened to the public on April 29, 2004. Pearl Harbor.  It honors the 16 million who served in the armed forces of the U.S., the more than 400,000 who died, and all who supported the war effort from home.

On June 15, 2013 a group of veterans and their escorts left Broomall in a caravan for a  “Tour of Honor” to visit their memorial. The Battle of the Bulge. The veterans were treated to a breakfast; snacks, lunch, and a rousing welcome home at St. Kevin’s Church, 200 W. Sproul Road, Springfield, Pa. 19064. The Manhattan Dolls sang songs of WWII ERA. Battle of the Atlantic. 

The five bus caravan was escorted from Washington, D.C. to Broomall with a police guard. Bataan. At the Pennsylvania Welcome Center, just north of the Delaware state line a group of veterans and friends on motorcycles eagerly awaited along with local, state and fire police to continue taking our vets the rest of the way. Anzio. Along the way at each overpass, Fire Departments and EMS personnel from across the County used their apparatus to form arches and stood side by side at attention to show their support and respect to our aging heroes.

If you ask any of the vets they will tell you they weren’t heroes. Battle of Kasserine Pass. They were only doing their job. That’s exactly the point, they were doing their job. Wherever they served, they contributed. Guadalcanal.  If you ask the escorts, they will tell you it was one of the most rewarding days that they experienced. Normandy. There were many, many more battles and not enough space to mention them in this article.

To all veterans, THANKS FOR YOUR SERVICE!

Tony Cavarocchi       

Public Information Officer

Broomall Fire Company - 53