After waiting two long years, it was finally my dad’s turn to go on the Land of Lincoln Honor Flight to spend the day in Washington D.C. seeing the sights. The Land of Lincoln Honor Flight was making its final flight of the 2017 spring/summer season on Tuesday, October 17, and my dad John Wesley Anderson and I were going to be on it. 

Dad asked me to go with him as his guardian for the day.  We were about to go have a father/daughter experience of a lifetime together. Both of us had talked about it for weeks and even months before the flight; we were both so excited. 

We drove to Springfield on Monday, Oct. 16 and attended the pre-flight dinner at the VFW. We enjoyed a BBQ dinner and were given instructions for the next day, along with our Honor Flight shirts, hats and name tags. Since we had to be at the airport by 4:15 a.m., we decided to just stay at a hotel not far from the airport. 

We settled in and decided to go to bed early since we would have such a big day on Tuesday. My dad fell asleep right away, but laid in my bed and tossed and turned. I couldn’t sleep. I was way too excited. It was like I was a little girl all over again

At 2:30 a.m. my alarm went off and it was time to get up and get our fun day started.  

We arrived at the airport on time and got all signed in. The Honor Flight board members/tour guides welcomed us, and we enjoyed some Dunkin’ Donuts coffee and a donut as we waited to board the charter plane. 

The time had finally come to go have fun, see the sights and enjoy our special day together. We boarded the charter plane, and you could feel the excitement among the veterans and guardians. Looking around the plane, I thought to myself, “I’m so lucky to have this opportunity with my dad.”  It was humbling to look around a plane full of United States veterans who had all given so much for my freedom. 

My dad and I talked about so many things on that trip that we had never, ever talked about before. I had never asked many questions about his time in the service, so it was nice to learn things about his experience in the Air Force. 

We watched the sun rise out the airplane window. Our flight landed at 7:15 a.m. at the Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. I had a little surprise planned for my dad. My cousin Lee Thomas, my dad’s eldest nephew, just lives not far from the airport, so he was able to surprise dad with a welcome to D.C. when we landed.  Fortunately, we were able to visit for a few minutes with him as we walked to the tour bus. 

We snapped a couple of pictures, and then by 8:15, we were loaded up and heading out on the three red, white and blue tour busses. Each bus had a Land of Lincoln Honor Flight guide who gave us information about the memorials, monuments, museums and buildings as we passed by.  

Our first stop was at the WWII Memorial for a large group picture. The veterans were assembled in front of the fountain and had a picture taken together. As I looked at the group, I was able to tell which veteran belonged with which war era.  The WWII veterans wore blue t-shirts/caps, Korean War veterans wore yellow shirts/caps, and Vietnam veterans wore red shirts/caps. Sponsors wore green shirts and hats for the day.  

After taking several photos and walking around the WWII Memorial for a few minutes, we loaded back up on the tour bus and headed to the Constitution Gardens. This is where we were able to walk around and visit Lincoln Memeorial, the Washington Monument, Vietnam Veterans Memorial and the Korean War Veterans Memorial. After having some time to look around, we boarded the bus and had a boxed lunch on our way to Arlington National Cemetery to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier for the Changing of the Guard and Wreath Laying Ceremony. 

Next stop was the Smithsonian National Air & Space Museum. This was especially fun for my dad to once again see the Lockheed SR-71A Blackbird, since he had seen it back in Okinawa in a hanger that he was working in.  We spent about an hour there, and we really enjoyed viewing the museum’s collection of historical planes. 

We boarded the bus and headed to our final stop of the day the Air Force Memorial. The memorial overlooks the Pentagon, so we were also able to take pictures of it. The Air Force Memorial features three stainless steel spires that soar 402 feet in the air. This was the memorial that my dad most wanted to see, so we took lots of pictures here. 

After our visit to the Air Force Memorial, we boarded the bus and headed back to the Ronald Regan Washington National Airport. We were each given a box dinner to eat as we waited to board the plane. By 6:45 it was dark, and we were all loaded up on the plane and ready for take-off to head home. As we flew over D.C., we looked down and just happened to see the Pentagon all lit up in the night skyline. What a beautiful city. 

On the flight home the guardians and Honor Flight volunteers had a surprise for the veterans. Each flight wraps up with an old-fashioned mail call. This is a mail bag that has been filled with letters, cards and drawings that the guardians gather up and sent to Springfield prior to the flight. I had contacted friends, family and also the Clinton Elementary School and Clinton Junior High School to help with this part of my guardian duty.  Dad was given a bag full of mail to look over on the flight and also when he returned home. 

 Our homecoming was right on time. We landed at 9 p.m. in Springfield. After exiting the plane in Springfield, we entered the airport to find bagpipes being played and hundreds of people welcoming us home. We made a single-file line and walked down the hallway of the small airport that was filled with people young and old shaking our hands and thanking my dad for his service. I’m not sure when I have felt so proud of my dad. It was such a touching and emotional welcome home. There were so many people there to shake our hands, many wearing red, white and blue and lots were holding up welcome signs.  

We met up with our family and some friends and then, much to my dad’s surprise, we were given an Illinois State Police/fire truck escort all the way back to Kenney. Our line of vehicles included cars, trucks and several motorcycles that followed all the way back to Kenney from Springfield. 

When we pulled into Kenney the streets were lined with American flags. We met at the Kenney Fire Department and had a small welcome home ceremony. Also attending the ceremony and part of the veterans flight was Mt. Pulaski Korean War Era Veteran Dean Cates who served in the U.S. Army.  After taking several pictures, we wrapped up our daylong celebration with a cookie and short visit with friends about our day. 

I had never really realized what my dad gave up in the four years that he served our country.  I’m writing this story in hopes that a veteran might read it and decide to sign up for the Land of Lincoln Honor Flight. Do it now. You deserve it. I promise it will be a day you will never forget. Currently there are approximately 800 veterans on a waiting list, so the quicker you sign up, the better. Following the completion of Land of Lincoln Honor Flight #47 on Oct. 17, the LLHF has flown a total of 3,609 veterans, including 1,430 World War II; 1,531 Korean War Era and 648 Vietnam veterans.

To sign up visit Land of Lincoln Honor Flight or contact Joan Bortolon (217) 585-1219. 

A little bit about my dad

My father graduated from Warrensburg-Latham High School in 1963 and enlisted in the U.S. Air Force in June 1965.. He was stationed at Hancock Field in Syracuse, N.Y. for the next two years. 

During his time in New York he received training in civil engineering and refrigeration. In 1967 he was sent to Okinawa and spent the next two years repairing and maintaining air-conditioning and refrigeration units for the Strategic Air Command on the Kadena Air Force Base.  Fortunately, my dad is able to have many good memories to share about being in the Air Force. He has told me some funny stories of pranks they used to play. I’m guessing some of which would definitely not be allowed in this and age. 

So, what has my dad done since he completed his four years of service in 1969? 

He returned home to help his father on the family farm, located just south of Kenney. He married Joan Herman on Feb. 14, 1970.  They had two children Bill and Susan and lived on a rented farm between Kenney and Beason until 1987, when they moved back to the family farm. 

Wes farmed with his father B.J. Anderson for many years and retired just a few years ago.

During my childhood, he worked several jobs; owning and operating Anderson Refrigeration and Electric, Anderson TV & Appliance, Kenney Hardware Store and curbside gas pump and also the Kenney Laundromat and Carwash. 

Wes has a collection of antique cars; he enjoys working on a variety of projects and keeps himself busy. He and Joan enjoy spending their winters in Harlingen, Texas, where they have been wintering for over 40 years together. 

 Wes and Joan have four grand-children: Kigan Munoz, of Kenney; and Jack, Jorie and Payton Anderson, of Glen Ellyn, Ill.