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The sun shines through the white crape myrtle trees at the National 9/11 Pentagon Memorial. The sounds of feet pacing through the gravel drowns out the noise of the water that flows below the granite benches. Veterans search for names they know and names to remember. 

The simplicity of the memorial adds to the purity of the environment; being able to smell the essence of security and feel the warmth of loved ones leads some to sit and contemplate the circumstances before them. Some even reach points where they consider the impact of their work in comparison to what they had lost.

The veterans were there for McHenry High School’s second annual Veterans Honor Flight hosted by the VNC on August 24. In addition, four Future Leader students from Cary-Grove High School were invited, presenting “The Missing Man Table,” various speeches about what it means to be a veteran, help carry luggage, and assist with veterans that preferred a wheelchair.

Aaron Stain, the head of the trip who worked with the VNC had anticipated acknowledging all branches of the military on this trip. This included visits to the Military Women’s Memorial, where the beautiful fountain in the middle added spotlight to the female veterans present. The National Museum of the United States Army encapsulated many of the memories that veterans experienced, deriving pure emotion. 

The benches at the National 9/11 Pentagon Memorial helped to put the lives that were lost into a different perspective, as well as the National Mall, where the comradery really shined through- veterans being there for one another. It is so vital for veterans to feel recognized, especially for those who experienced adversity and stigma when returning from wars like Vietnam and Korea; often being exiled, ignored, or treated as traitors.

There were younger veterans who attended the trip as well, beyond the era where veterans did not receive the respect they deserved after coming home from war. 

Joe Kalisek was a Major in the United States Army from 1985 to 2015 who later became a special education teacher at the MCHS’s Upper Campus. “I’m not as old as some of the other members of this honor flight, and I felt that I didn’t qualify to come because we’re honoring [the] Korean war and Vietnam era- and I was the next era.”

Although a lot of these veterans were drafted, and had never inquired about the military beforehand — many, if not all of them, treasured joining their branches. Dan Jensen, A specialist 4th Class in the highlands during the Vietnam War was among these people, sharing his gratitude for having joined the Army.

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Madisyn Spencer

For the second year in a row, MCHS hosted a trip to Washington D.C. for veterans as part of Honor Flight. The trip entailed veterans viewing memorials in the nations capital and being recognized for their service.

“The military is a great experience for anybody,” Jensen says. “You saw those movies today, how much they push the envelope for physical and mental [health]. It’s a great experience for young people to go through all of that experience.” 

However reluctant one may be to the training and rigorous mindset shift that the military requires in their soldiers, part of that shift helps to mend that group in the barracks into one unified mind with courage. 

“I realized early on that what was happening was they were tearing us down from whatever we were, to be rebuilt in their image and what the service wanted,” describes John Cerrone, a Specialist 4th Class in the Army who was stationed for 2 years at Fort Sill in Oklahoma.

Kalisek adds to the idea of togetherness, mentioning the trust and overall friendliness the veterans had with one another- regardless of if they knew each other. “It’s an awareness more than a knowledge,” he says. “It’s an awareness that, when I get with these people, we can accomplish anything. There’s nothing we can’t do.”

It’s interesting to notice the absence of Marines in the forces in comparison to the other branches. Granted the strict requirements and, in a sense, giving their freedom for the freedom of future generations. Marines that were on the honor flight expressed extreme fulfillment. 

Brooke Milbocker, a Corporal in the United States Marines who served in the Afghanistan and Iraq wars voiced, “I’ve heard this said, and I highly agree, ‘Some people live their life and wonder if they’ve ever made a difference but Marines don’t have that problem.’”

After the motorcycle escorts lead the buses back to the Upper Campus, the veterans begin to walk down the steps, being greeted by a bright and colorful day around them. American flags sway in the breeze outside of the entrance to the gymnasium, welcoming the veterans home while the morning birds sing with excitement. Couples reach for each other’s hands, and others smile to friends with pride; they step through the double doors and see all eyes on them. Staff, students, family, and friends fill the spacious and cool gym with applause and love- photographers there to capture the emotional moment. 

Surround Sound harmonizes beautiful songs for the veterans as they walk down the path before them, some teary eyed, and some saluting the other veterans that are there to welcome them home. They had endured a long and emotionally draining trip — but they had realized more what their hardship through their service was for; family, and to continue to help the United States strive to be a country that all can be proud of.