World War II Veterans get airport welcome from OSAA Soldiers
By Staff Sgt. Christopher A. Wood and Sgt. Frank K
Operation Support Airlift Agency
Courtesy photo
Sgt. Tammie K. Carr shakes the hand of a World War II Veteran.
World War 2 Veterans were greeted by crowds of active-duty servicemembers from all branches of the armed forces March 10 at Reagan National Airport, as they disembarked from flights.
Staff Sgt. Tony Edmond; and Sgts. Tammie Carr and Frank Whitehead, all assigned to the Operation Support Airlift Agency to help welcome veterans on honor flights. More than 400 WWII Veterans from the Pacific Theatre came to Washington from Chicago, Cleveland, Boston and New York to view a screening of the new HBO mini-series “The Pacific” and to visit the World War II Memorial.
The Soldiers volunteered for the USO of Metropolitan Washington.
Many young servicemembers were moved by the united effort to appreciate America’s heroes. Carr said, “It felt really good to be able to return the favor and greet the Veterans as they came off the plane as they did for me when I came back from a deployment in Afghanistan.”
“I’m just proud to have been able to greet those heroes,” Edmond said.
As the veterans made their way to the buses, some cried, laughed, and some just could not stop smiling.
“I heard over and over again how honored they felt that current, active-duty Soldiers, Marines and Airmen would turn out to honor them,” said Pamela Horton, airport services specialist for the USO of Metropolitan Washington. “[Those Soldiers, Marines, Airmen] made a lasting impression on these true heroes.”
“It was good to see how many people really cared about our veterans. It turned out really great,” Whitehead said. “It was such an honor to be able to greet the veterans who came before us. [It was an honor] just being able to talk to and shake hands with the Soldiers who helped make America what it is today.”
