Honoring Our Freedom Fighters

Exerpt from the RHS podcast interview with Sue Nicholson

For our 2017 Hatter of the Year, Sue Nicholson, volunteering with Honor Flight is more than an act of service. It is a heartfelt way to honor the sacrifices made by the men and women who served our country.

“Without our veterans,” Sue says, “we wouldn’t have many of the freedoms we enjoy today.”

As an Honor Flight volunteer, Sue spends long days at the airport helping ensure that veterans receive the recognition they deserve. She arrives at 3:00 p.m. on flight days to greet veterans, answer questions from family members, and help the honorees find their assigned buses. After the veterans return from their journey to Washington, D.C., Sue is there once again, joining hundreds of others for the emotional “homecoming” celebration.

The Honor Flight program provides veterans with an opportunity to visit the memorials dedicated to the wars in which they served. Sue notes that there are very few World War II veterans remaining, and Korean War veterans are becoming increasingly rare. She is especially passionate about honoring Vietnam veterans.

“We didn’t do a very good job welcoming them home the first time,” she says. “This is our chance to finally say, ‘Welcome home, and thank you for your service.”

Sue’s dedication to the program eventually led her to serve as a guardian, accompanying a veteran on an Honor Flight journey. Experiencing the trip firsthand gave her an even deeper appreciation for its impact.

“It is amazing to see complete strangers in Washington, D.C., including young children, come up, shake their hands, and thank them for their service,” Sue says. “The veterans are amazed that people would do that for them.”

When the veterans arrive in Washington, they are welcomed by volunteers before boarding buses to visit the memorials. By the end of the day, they are understandably exhausted. Yet, according to Sue, a remarkable thing happens when they return home: the sight of family members, friends, and supporters gathered at the airport gives them one final burst of energy and emotion.

For Sue, those homecomings capture the true spirit of Honor Flight. They are not simply about a trip to Washington. They are about gratitude, remembrance, and giving our veterans the welcome home they always deserved.

The Honor Flight program is entirely funded by donations, ensuring that veterans can participate at no cost. For Sue, volunteering is a small gesture of thanks for an immeasurable sacrifice.