by Mark Smiley
Air Force Memorial: Paul Smiley, who served in the Air Force from 1968-1972, enjoyed visiting the Air Force Memorial on the 101st Honor Flight Chicago on May 11, 2022. The Memorial is located in Arlington County, Virginia, on the former grounds of the Navy Annex near The Pentagon and Arlington National Cemetery.
Vietnam Veterans Memorial: One of the highlights of the trip was the visit to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, the most visited memorial on the National Mall. Most of the veterans on Honor Flight Chicago 101 were Vietnam veterans so this stop was especially important to them.
F-100: The last stop on the tour was the Udvar-Hazy Center, the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum’s annex at Washington Dulles International Airport. Paul Smiley poses in front of one of the planes he worked on while serving in the Air Force in Clovis, New Mexico. The F-100 Super Sabre was developed from the F-86 and was the world’s first fighter capable of supersonic speed in level flight.
Honor Guard: The U.S. Marine Corps Honor Guard performed for the veterans near the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool.
This July, we celebrate Independence Day. I had the opportunity to celebrate a day of patriotism a little early as I accompanied my father to Washington, D.C., on the 101st Honor Flight Chicago. It was one of the most memorable and rewarding experiences of my life.
My dad, Paul Smiley, served in the Air Force from 1968-1972, during the peak of the Vietnam War. He was stationed in Clovis, New Mexico, and although he never went to Vietnam, he served our country honorably for four years. And for this, he was treated to a day of patriotism, appreciation, and honor on May 11, 2022.
Honor Flight Chicago’s mission is to honor, thank, and inspire by building awareness and appreciation of the debt of gratitude America owes its veterans for their service and sacrifice for our nation. “A lot of veterans come into the day thinking it is just a sightseeing trip but when they come back, they realize that was the sixth most important thing about the day,” said Doug Meffley, Co-Director, Honor Flight Chicago. “It’s really about our eternal gratitude from a grateful nation.”
The day starts early. Veterans and their guardians are asked to arrive at Chicago Midway by 4 a.m. the day of the flight. The entire morning is well organized and a team of volunteers are deployed in every corner to make check-in smooth. A special streamlined TSA line, Southwest Airline’s chartered flight, and other surprises along the way made the morning seem to fly by. All told, over 1,000 volunteers are in Honor Flight Chicago’s rolodex with 200-300 helping each flight.
The centerpiece of the programming is the day of honor in Washington, D.C., visiting the memorials built in tribute to the service of veterans from World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War. This trip is provided at no cost to the veteran and is intended as a heartfelt thank you for their service and sacrifice from a grateful nation.
“All that we hear from our Vietnam veterans is thank you for this healing and closure, righting this wrong, when I was welcomed home with open animosity 50 years ago,” said Meffley. “That gratitude factor is the future of our movement.”
“Honor Flight Chicago brought many emotions to me as I shared the experience with my son [Chronicle Executive Editor Mark Smiley] who served as my guardian,” said Paul Smiley, Air Force Veteran, 1968-1972. “Visiting the memorials throughout Washington, D.C., paying homage to our fallen heroes, and to those traveling with us who served our country was awe inspiring and memorable.”
The emotions that filled me were profound and will last a lifetime. The chance to be able to spend the day with my dad and over 110 other heroes who served our country was one of the best experiences of my life. And that emotion is something Meffley experiences for a living. “I say thank you as a profession,” said Meffley. “It is the most rewarding and fulfilling work that I’ve ever had. For me, it feels like a stronger connection to my own family’s history in the military. I never served but this is my way of giving back to my family members who did serve.”
The typical waiting period after applying to go on the flight is two to three years for a Vietnam veteran. World War II and Korean War veterans go to the front of the line. Some veterans such as my dad who did not see conflict, initially felt they didn’t deserve this day of honor. “Our firm stance is that if you served during a period of war, you deserve our thanks,” said Meffley. “By and large, you did not choose where you were assigned. You went into the service during a time of war, you were just as eligible as the next person to end up as a grunt on the ground in Vietnam. Our view is that all of them deserve our thanks and honor. It does take some convincing. We are not always successful to get veterans to fly but we find once they come back, we often hear I never thought I was a hero or I never did anything worth thanking but my view has changed after this day.”
I can attest that each of the 111 veterans on our flight was treated the same and with the honor and respect they deserve. And when friends of mine learned of me coming to the city where I grew up to experience this with my dad, they wanted to send their own message to my dad who they have known for 35 years.
“Thank you for your service to our great country,” said Andrew McKenna, family friend of Paul Smiley. “It is the sacrifices and challenging work that patriots like you and your fellow servicemembers made and continue to make that allow us to have this precious freedom.”
“This is a special honor for you to not only reflect on your experiences,” but to also celebrate your accomplishments,” said Robert Paetsch, family friend of Paul Smiley. “Your dedication to our country, your community, the church, your students, and your family have lifted us all.”
A little-known fact is that every flight, they travel with a flag box full of photos of veterans who did not live to exper
WWII Memorial: Paul Smiley, left, and Mark Smiley at the World War II Memorial in Washington, D.C. The WWII Memorial opened in 2004 and honors the 16 million who served in the armed forces of the U.S., the more than 400,000 who died, and all who supported the war effort from home.
ience their own Day of Honor. Some of those veterans never came home from battle. As Honor Flight Chicago 100 alum Glenn Taras said, “This is for those who didn’t make it home … to keep their memories alive.”
With the welcomed support of generous donors and a caring public, Honor Flight Chicago intends to continue its mission to include veterans of wars — past, present, and future — as they recognize the bravery, determination, and patriotism of our veterans.
There are 130 HUBs around the country. Honor Flight Chicago will fly any veteran from the country so long as they can arrive at Chicago Midway Airport by 4 a.m. the day of the flight. For more information, visit www.honorflightchicago.org or to find an Honor Flight near you, visit www.honorflight.org.