A Sweet Memorial Day Surprise...

I witnessed a beautiful tradition in Washington DC's Reagan National Airport (DCA) last year on Memorial Day that I will never forget.

I remember going through security at DCA and standing in line with all of these anxious people wearing matching t-shirts who were so excited about something... but I couldn't figure out what.

They kept saying to eachother, "Have they landed yet?! Do you know what gate they are coming into??!" "Ooh Ooh! I heard they just landed! Hurry hurry!"

I'm thinking, what is going on and why are these people going through security with me if they are clearly waiting on an arriving plane? Oh well.

After going through security and heading to my gate, I noticed off to the right a crowd of people standing in one particular gate area. There were balloons... and a band... and lot's of miniature American flags...  There was clearly something signifcant happening and I wasn't about to miss it so I turned and asked someone "what is going on?!"

Their response nearly brought tears to my eyes.

 

180 World War II Veterans were arriving on an aircraft from Charlotte, NC to visit the WWII Memorial in DC for the first time. They had no idea that when they arrived at their gate, they would be greeted by family, friends, and a bunch of strangers at the airport welcoming and cheering for them as they each walked one by one off the jetway and through the airport.

They especially didn't know that there would be a band in their gate playing songs from that era such as, "Hooray for the Red, White, and Blue!",  "The Boogie-Woogie Bugle Boy", and a military medley of each theme song of the Armed Forces. (Click here to hear).





(You can just barely see the band in the background of this picture)

The veterans were overwhelmed with emotion and most of them burst into tears as soon as they walked into the gate and saw the crowd of people clapping for them. A number of them were in wheelchairs. As they walked through the aisle that the crowd had created, they shook the hands of strangers.... strangers, who said "thank you" with tears streaming down their faces.

After tearing up with a bunch of other random travelers (who weren't so random to me in that moment), I eventually headed to my gate, feeling so fortunate that I witnessed what I had- otherwise, I likely would have carried on with my business and travel anxieties without pausing to even think about the meaning behind the holiday. 

That being said, I would encourage anyone reading this, to make the effort this Memorial Day to talk to simply one person in your family or circle of friends who has fought in or experienced a war involving our country. Whether that be a grandparent with WWII, a parent or uncle with Vietnam, or a friend who has served in Afghanistan. Ask them about their experience. Ask them questions. Don't hold back and don't be embarassed with what you don't know. Get a sense for the reality that people die to protect your way of life. While difficult to wrap my head around, that thought is ultimately very empowering to me... and makes me want to think twice before allowing myself to get too stressed out over stupid things. <- Such as getting yelled at by security for illegally riding my bike around and around the fountain below. But that's a blog for another day! :)

WWII Memorial in Washington DC