Honor Flight: Honoring a Lifetime of Service and Dedication

More than 60 years after it happened, nearly 200 World War II veterans finally have the closure they have been looking for. The men, who are all retirees of The Dow Chemical Company, were participants of Dow Honor Flight – two all-expense paid trips to Washington, D.C., to visit the memorial that was built in their honor. Despite the tears, many of them said it was the best day of their lives.

The adventure began in 2006, when Michigan author, Lowell Thomas, approached Dow about sponsoring a group of WWII veterans on a trip to Washington. After months of discussion and a meeting with retired Air Force Captain Earl Morse, the Dow/Honor Flight partnership was born.

Morse is founder of Honor Flight, Inc., of Springfield, Ohio. He and his associates have flown thousands of veterans to Washington, but had never had a company step up to fund a flight for its own veterans, until Dow.

From the beginning, Dow’s purpose was to honor its veterans and encourage other companies to do the same. Ninety-three veterans participated in the first trip which took place on November 7, 2007. The second group of 92 made the trek on May 21, 2008.

The Trip of a Lifetime

Both trips were similar in design. The veterans arrived at MBS International Airport in Saginaw, Mich., at 5 a.m., blurry eyed but excited, where they were introduced to their escorts who were Dow employees and, for the most part, veterans themselves. There was an unspoken bond between the old and new veterans that was apparent almost immediately.

When they landed at Ronald Reagan National Airport, the veterans were surprised to see fire fighters using water cannons to spray arches over the aircraft to honor the reluctant heroes.

Human Element

Once inside, the veterans were greeted with music from the National Symphony Orchestra’s brass quartet and received many personal greetings from passersby. One veteran actually got out of his wheelchair and danced with an airport employee!

A special video message from Dow Chairman and CEO Andrew Liveris was shown on the bus ride from the airport to the memorial, but nothing was as special as the memorial itself which, quite literally, took the veterans’ breath away.

After spending a few hours at the WWII memorial, the veterans also visited a number of D.C.-based memorials, including the U.S. Marine Corps Memorial (Iwo Jima), the Lincoln Memorial, the Vietnam War Memorial and the Korean War Memorial. Some of the veterans had served in WWII and the Korean War.

Remembering Others

The day was filled with emotion, but the visit to Arlington National Cemetery was the emotional climax for many of Dow’s guests as they witnessed the changing of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. During the first trip, a group of four veterans laid a wreath at the tomb.

The veterans were greeted throughout the day by a number of distinguished guests, including Sen. Bob Dole, chairman of the National World War II Memorial, U.S. Sens. Carl Levin and Debbie Stabenow, and U.S. Rep. Dave Camp, who all expressed their gratitude to the veterans.

A Thankful Welcome Home

Just when they thought their emotions were in check, another heart-warming surprise awaited them when they returned to MBS International airport. A cheering crowd of hundreds was on hand to give them a big “welcome home” celebration and many said the fanfare was more than they encountered when they returned from the war.

It’s been said that war represents the ultimate failure of mankind, yet it also summons the greatest qualities of which human beings are capable: courage beyond measure, loyalty beyond words, sacrifice and ingenuity, and endurance beyond imagination.

The Dow Chemical Company is proud to have given these members of the Greatest Generation the experience of their lifetimes. It was a privilege to honor the lifetime of sacrifice and dedication they have shown to their country and to Dow.