MAC Members Serving Veterans

MAC MEMBERS SERVING VETERANS By: Judith Hanses, Past Governor

Who knew five MAC members were enthusiastic volunteers serving veterans in the St. Louis community? Squash devotees Chris Connell, Craig Parker, Gene Frederic and Chris Shepherd regularly pay their own way to accompany area veterans as guardians on Greater St. Louis Honor Flights. Chris also serves Chairman of the Board of Greater St. Louis Honor Flight, with MAC Member Lisa Holley, daughter of a WWII veteran, the Vice Chairman.

So, what is an Honor Flight, you ask? It is a national network of independent hubs working together to honor our nation’s veterans with an all-expenses-paid trip to their memorials in Washington, D.C., a trip many veterans may not otherwise be able to take.

At 3:30 a.m. on a May morning, our MAC volunteers were at St. Louis Lambert Airport getting their assigned St. Louis area WWII, Korea and Vietnam veterans ready for a 5:30 a.m. charter flight for a day of visiting their memorials in Washington, D.C.

A water cannon salute greeted the veterans and their guardians at Regan National Airport. Excitement was high on the National Mall during a picture-perfect spring day for visits to the impressive WWII, Korea and Vietnam Memorials. Then, it was off to Arlington National Cemetery to see the dignity of the changing of the guard ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknowns, followed by visits to the Marine Iwo Jima Memorial, high on its hill above Arlington Cemetery and the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial alongside the Potomac River. Last stop was the Air Force Memorial, a soaring sculpture representing the Missing Man flight formation, where a group of D.C area Sweet Adelines serenaded veterans with WWII era swing tunes.

The adrenaline-filled day was capped by an unmatched welcome home ceremony for veterans returning to Lambert Airport. At the gate, Active-Duty military members and a multitude of veterans provided a double line of salutes to welcome veterans home. Extending from the gate to the Terminal 2 lobby, a full-blown military parade, including the St. Louis County Police pipe and drum marching band, led returning veterans through a packed crowd of cheering family members, friends, Honor Flight volunteers and even passengers waiting for flights. It was a memorable day for veterans and guardians alike.

Have you served in the military? Have you seen your memorials in Washington, D.C.? Find the application for Honor flight at gslhonorflight.org. Those who wish to serve as guardians will find an application in the same location.F

HEADLINE PHOTO: L-R: (FRONT ROW) RON WICKERS, REGGIE HILL (VIETNAM VETERAN); (BACK ROW) PAST MAC GOVERNOR GENE FREDERIC, PAST MAC GOVERNOR JUDITH HANSES (OPERATION DESERT STORM VETERAN), CRAIG PARKER (HONOR FLIGHT GUARDIAN), CHRIS SHEPHERD, MARK SLOAN (KOREAN WAR VETERAN) AND CHRIS CONNELL (HONOR FLIGHT GUARDIAN). BOTTOM ROW: L-R: CHRIS SHEPARD, CHRIS CONNELL, CRAIG PARKER AND PAST GOVERNOR GENE FREDERIC; CRAIG PARKER AND PAST MAC GOVERNOR JUDITH HANSES; CHRIS CONNELL AND MARK SLOAN; CHRIS CONNELL AND MARK SLOAN; PAST GOVERNOR GENE FREDERIC, CRAIG PARKER, CHRIS CONNELL AND CHRIS SHEPARD.