This year, Sun City resident Dino Micheli was one of several veterans on the Honor Flight to Washington, D.C.
Micheli shared, “My trip was four days and three nights, and it was the trip of a lifetime. It was an experience that moved me to tears, a journey that touched my heart in ways I never thought possible.”
Micheli recounts his transformative journey to Washington, D.C., with other veterans on the honor flight.
He said, “These flights are not just trips but powerful opportunities to honor and thank the brave Americans who secured our freedom. They bring these heroes to the nation’s capital, allowing them to see memorials commemorating their service.”
Each veteran receives a shirt i fying their group.
Sixty veterans and twenty-five volunteers, including Micheli, took off from Mitchell Airport in Milwaukee on this honor flight.
Micheli said, “Our itinerary took us to the Lincoln Memorial and memorials for Vietnam, Korea, and World War II. We visited the Pentagon and saw where the Pentagon was hit on 9/11. You could see the new construction.”
The Pentagon was struck by American Airlines Flight 77 at approximately 0937 on September 11, 2001.
“We saw various memorials for branches of military service, as well as a viewing of the changing guard ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery,” Micheli said.
The military guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier is changed in an elaborate ceremony every hour from October 1 through March 31 and every half hour from April 1 through September 30.
Micheli continued, “Everything was done for us. Cadets, high school students in uniform, carried our bags. The National Anthem was sung before dinner, and we had speakers each night. One of the speakers was on the seventh floor of the World Trade Towers. He had no idea what had happened at first. Another speaker was a General who had scheduled a meeting in the area where the plane hit on 9/11 but had canceled the meeting earlier.”
Micheli encourages Sun City Veterans to apply for the honor flight at veteransnetworkcommittee.org/. The application process is straightforward. Veterans are chosen based on when they served in the U.S. Military. WWII veterans are given priority, followed by Korean War veterans.
Donations to support this initiative can be made on the same website. Every contribution, big or small, makes a difference.
Micheli warmly invites residents to join the Sun City Veterans Charter Club, open to all residents, veterans, and anyone who wishes to honor or be a part of the group.
Micheli said, “You do not have to be a veteran to join the club, everyone is welcome.”
More details about the Veterans Charter Club are available on the Sun City website, and Micheli encourages everyone to attend the monthly meetings, held on the second Wednesday of each month. The club hosts speakers that provide information on opportunities and assistance available for Veterans and their spouses, underscoring the club’s importance in supporting our veterans.
You can also email Micheli, Secretary of the Charter Club, at dinomicheli@comcast.net for more information.
