Joint services honor vets during ‘Make a Difference Day’

Military service members gathered at the World War II Memorial in Washington, D.C., to honor veterans during the joint service “Make a Difference Day” volunteer event, Oct. 20.

“Our veterans are a reflection of our service members’ future,” said Olivia Hunter, Naval District Washington Regional Community Service Program coordinator. “I think that the same way that the veterans adore being honored and remembered they too, I’m sure, would like to receive the same type of honor and respect in the future.”

121020-N-KV696-118 — Yeoman 2nd Class Erika Cash, assigned to Military Sealift Command, shakes hands with a World War II veteran as she enters the World War II Memorial during the Joint Services Make a Difference Day. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Kiona Miller/Released

Make a Difference Day is a national day of volunteering celebrated annually to promote community service. This year, nearly 200 volunteers greeted World War II veterans from Georgia, Ohio, Florida, New York and Arkansas as part of the Honor Flight Network program.

“Honor Flight is an organization that caters to all veterans and they actually provide transportation throughout the various states to come to D.C. and to tour the World War II memorial,” said Hunter. “This is the largest Honor Flight this year and it will probably be the last one, that is one of the reasons why we decided to do this Honor Flight for Make a Difference Day.”

Volunteers from each branch of service not only welcomed each veteran with cheers, handshakes and personal expressions of gratitude but they also assisted in unloading wheel chairs, escorting veterans throughout the memorial and even listened to war stories told by the veterans themselves.

“It’s humbling,” said Cryptologic Technician Networks 3rd Class Robert Murphy, assigned to Navy Information Operations Command, Maryland. “We are losing more and more everyday and this is one of the only chances I feel like to get out and meet somebody that’s gone before you to do what you have done, and we are following up in their footsteps.”

According to World War II veteran Irwin Kuhns, who served on a landing ship tank as a first class petty officer during the war, it was an emotional experience to be honored by the new generation of military service members.

“It’s pretty great; I get a lump in my throat,” said Kuhns. “The good part of it is we’ve done our part the best that we could; now we are turning it over to you young people. It’s in your hands now, the whole works.”

Approximately 525 veterans were transported by a commercial airliner from their home state to Washington, D.C. then by a chartered bus to the memorial. The Honor Flight program has more than 117 hubs in 40 states and transported more than 81,000 World War II veterans in 2011.