Our veterans are some of our nation’s greatest unsung heroes.  They were called to serve during times of war, many times not knowing if they would ever return.  We owe a great debt to these brave men and women that I’m not sure we can ever fully repay.  But we must try because they have earned that respect from us.

Each year, thousands of veterans visit Washington, D.C. on Honor Flights put together by volunteers.  These programs bring veterans to at no cost to the veteran - to visit museums and memorials dedicated to the conflicts they fought in.  For some veterans, this trip might be the only time they have the opportunity to visit their memorials and pay their respects to the friends they lost in combat.  Since 2005, Honor Flights have brought over 159,000 veterans from across the country to Washington.

In 2010, I had the honor of serving as my papa Kenneth “Cowboy” Morris’s guardian on his Honor Flight.  He served as a combat engineer in WWII during D-Day and the Battle of the Bulge.  It was his first time to fly since he came home from the war.  When I was growing up, he would tell stories about being a young soldier in Europe, but he tried to only tell the funny stories and kept a lot of the horrors of war to himself. 

Being on that flight is something I will never forget because it was the first time I ever saw my papa cry.  When we arrived in Washington, D.C., we were greeted in the airport by people cheering for the veterans, and I saw him start to tear up.  He told me that he didn’t come home during all the big parades.  He was dropped off in Fort Smith and had to hitchhike home.  This was the first homecoming that he received, 65 years later.   The amount of respect shown for these aging warriors was very emotional, and I’m glad I was there to experience it with him.

As a Congressman, I have also had the honor of greeting these groups when they visit the Capitol and the WWII Memorial.  I had the chance to greet the Cherokee Nation Honor Flight in the Capitol just a few weeks ago.  Listening to the stories that these men have to tell is one of the best parts of my job.

For veterans in Oklahoma, there is an Honor Flight available to you.  The O&A Honor Flight is a nationally recognized program that serves veterans from Oklahoma and Arkansas.  They have a full flight visiting Washington, D.C. in the first week of October, which will spend the day visiting war memorials, monuments, and the Arlington National Cemetery.  They will leave Tulsa early in the morning, and be back home before the end of the day.

These flights would not be possible without the work of volunteers.  These dedicated members of the community help with everything from raising money for the flights, to escorting our heroes to Washington, D.C.  

The O&A Honor Flight has another trip coming up in the spring.  If you are a veteran who would like to travel to D.C., know of a veteran who should be honored, or are a volunteer who would like to help out, you can find information and applications by going to www.oahonorflight.org. 

We are losing members of our greatest generation every day.  As the years go on, we lose the opportunity to honor them.  I hope that programs like Honor Flight continue to recognize the service and sacrifice of our veterans.

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