Viola Thibodeau had the experience of a lifetime this fall as she served as a youth guardian on a Hudson Valley Honor Flight.
The Hudson Valley Honor Flight flies veterans to Washington D.C. to visit memorials at no cost to the veterans. It is a way to honor American veterans for their sacrifices. Each veteran is assigned a guardian. There are a handful of youth guardians on each flight. Viola was chosen as one of them.
Her veteran was Albert, 81, who is from Newburgh. He served in the Navy for six years during the Cold War era and then in the Air Force National Guard. He was just 17 when he first joined.
The day began very early, with a pre-dawn motorcade to Stewart Airport with police and Orange County American Legion Riders. At the airport were groups from throughout Orange County waiting to give the vets a suitable send off.
“There was even a water cannon salute,” said Viola. “The veterans were so appreciative and thankful.”
They sat together on the flight and Viola really got to know Albert. He shared his story about when he first joined, headed to boot camp and the entire process. He was an aviation mechanic while he served. He also talked about his life after his service, his family and his kids.
When they arrived in DC, Viola said they walked all around on the beautiful October day. They went to the Lincoln Memorial, the World War II Memorial, Korean War Memorial and the Vietnam Memorial. They also visited Arlington National Cemetery, which Albert had been to before, but he had not visited any of the memorials.
They had lunch and dinner before heading back to the Hudson Valley.
This was Viola’s second trip to DC, with the first coming just months before with the Law and Leadership Academy. She was part of the Law and Leadership summer academy after her sophomore year and this past summer was a student instructor. The college level Law and Leadership Academy took the trip to DC this past summer and she was fortunate enough to go.
“Being there with Albert was so special,” said Viola. “Going down with the veterans made it even better.”
On the flight back, there was a mail call for all of the veterans. They received letters from students throughout the area, thanking them for their service to our nation.
Which is what this trip is all about.
“It was very emotional at times with special speeches at the beginning,” said Viola. “The whole point is to honor them and let them know they are appreciated.”
That message, she said, was loud and clear.
After their 16-hour day, they parted ways, exhausted but energized.
“I highly recommend doing this,” said Viola. “It was an incredible experience.”