We left the Columbia airport with people cheering us on and applauding the veterans as we walked through a good-by tunnel of well wishers and uniformed soldiers. When we arrived in Washington, we were greeted with an arch of water from 2 fire trucks. The welcome in the terminal was even more than what we had encountered in Columbia. The people, young and old, shook the hands of each veterans as we disembarked from the tunnel. The band was playing and the people were telling the veterans thank you and patting me on the back and thanking me for bringing them to Washington. Later we found out that they announce over the PA system that the plane is coming in and invited anyone in the terminal waiting for planes to meet the vets. The number of people there were unbelievable. At the monuments, people would just walk up and shake the veterans hands and thank them for what they had done for our country. What touched me the most were the young children who were shaking the vets hands and saying thank you. This just blew me away and brought tears to my eyes.
I had the privilege of being a guardian for my dad as well as another vet. Paul lives here in Irmo and he and my dad made a fast friendship. Paul served in the Navy too so they had that in common. The two of them walked and talked and let me take the pixs. that documented our day. Paul thanked me at the end of the day for taking care of him even tho he and dad had to hunt me down several times during the day. But, he was happy when I presented him with copies of the pixs. that I took. He shared them immediately with his children and was taking them with him when he visited another vet. in Fla. for Thanksgiving.
There was a group of Harley-Davidson hogs that escorted us into Washington. That was a fun thing to see and experience.
When we returned to Reagan International to leave for Columbia, there was a swing dance group there to meet and greet the vets and of course dance with them. They even danced with the guys in the wheel chairs. What a fun time this was in the terminal waiting area. Again, just a very warm reception for the group.
When we arrived back in Columbia, there was even a larger crowd and band to welcome us home. What an experience to walk through this throng of people. As dad and I made our way through, someone kept calling my dad's name. When I got dad's attention, he recognized them as his neighbors. Neither one knew that the other one was going to be there. What a surprise to both of them.
On a funny note: While we were at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, I left dad and Paul so that I could get into position to take pixs. I was one floor up from daddy and kept calling his name to get his attention. He would never look up, so finally I called him by the nickname I gave him as a teenager and the name Martha, Melinda, and the grands call him: Pops! As soon as I called him that, he looked up at me and just grinned.
My dad thanked me the next day for going with him and experiencing this day with him. It is a memory that I will treasure for the rest of my life
