I scanned the line of older gentlemen boarding the charter bus, looking for the veteran I'd be accompanying on a two-day tour of the war memorials in Washington, D.C. That Saturday morning in September 2019 was my first time volunteering for Honor Flight, and I wanted everything to go smoothly. Planning is something I'm big on.
I checked name tags. None said Harold Gary. Harold was 98, a World War II veteran. One of the last of the Greatest Generation.
I admire the men and women who serve our country. My late parents were Air Force veterans. I thought of following in their footsteps, but my dad wouldn't hear of it. I went into accounting, then IT, eventually working for Lockheed Martin, a defense contractor.
Maybe the seed had been planted in my teens when I watched my proud father step off the plane from Vietnam in civilian clothes so protestors wouldn't spit on him, but I'd long felt a pull to do something more for veterans. I'd asked for God's guidance about it as I got closer to retirement age. Several weeks earlier, my company had held a fundraiser for Honor Flight. "Is there a way to volunteer?" I asked.
So here I was, hoping to give back in some small way.
At last, I spotted Harold. He'd been standing to the side, letting everyone else board the bus ahead of him.
I introduced myself. "Were you waiting for me?"
"No, no," Harold said. "These other veterans deserve the best seats." How could a World War II veteran feel unworthy of respect? Right then and there, I made it my mission to show Harold that he too was a hero.
On the ride to D.C., I asked about his service. Bit by bit, his story came out.
"I grew up on a dairy farm during the Depression," he said. "Seven of us kids, but I was closest to my brother Dana. We called him Dan. He was two years younger. We were inseparable."
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In the Everyday
Cooking, cleaning, breaking up the kids’ fights... If only I had a few minutes for myself!
Worst-Case Scenario?
I’d had nagging injuries before and always recovered. Why wasn’t I confident that I would get better this time?
Honor Thy Son
I was a Marine officer, a lifer—or so I thought. Then came Patrick
Keeping It Real
In an age of social media, we're experiencing an epidemic of loneliness. Two friends who met online tell you how to grow an authentic connection
What You Wish For
She never wanted to see her abusive father again
God's Pillow
In 2016, the Soberanes Fire in Northern California was the costliest ever in the United States. It almost cost me my life, despite the promise I made to my wife
"I Heard You Praying"
As a hospital chaplain, I had seen hopeless cases. But never one more seemingly hopeless than this
"I Love You, Dad!"
Some of your favorite GUIDEPOSTS writers share what they learned from their fathers
Harold and Me
They’re nearly all gone now, the generation we call The Greatest.” This woman’s mission was to honor one of them
The Race Before Her
For this Olympic champion, success bred her greatest fear. How five verses set her free