Wish Stories

In October of 2012, 3 older adults from across the country made the trek to Washington, D.C., together to visit the memorials for the first time. It was a very special experience for everyone involved, and they had a great time sharing stories during their trip....

Jim, of Galleria Woods in Hoover, AL, is an 84-year-old retired Physicist with a passion for flying. Jim has had his Wish of a Lifetime to fly in an open-cockpit biplane for almost 70 years. Jim’s Wish started to take shape when he took an Aeronautics class in high...

On October 9th and 10th, 2012, 7 veterans - representing 3 major Wars: WWII, Korea, and Vietnam - were granted their Wish of a Lifetime to see the War memorials on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. for the very first time. The group hailed mostly from the Denver...

Lucille, 81, of The Sterling House in Salem, OH, is a proud veteran of the Air Force. She displays her Air Force pictures prominently around her apartment, explaining each of them to new visitors. She has gone to every reunion she possibly could – they are usually the...

The Tuskegee Airmen are a unique group of veterans who overcame racial discrimination and segregation within the US Armed Forces, and who became one of the most successful aviation groups in Europe during WWII. It was the Wish of a Lifetime for four Airmen from Dallas...

Owen "Obie", 87, of the Chambrel at Williamsburg, served in the US Navy during WWII from 1943-1946. He was the Gunner's Mate First Class on a Patrol Torpedo (PT) boat. He recently discovered that a PT boat exactly like his that was originally built in 1945 was...

Bob S., 92,a resident at the Sterling House of Emporia in Kansas. Serving as a mechanic in the Air Force during the Second World War, Bob became fascinated with the Bombers that he maintained. During the war, he always dreamed of being able to take flight in one of...

Dore S., 93, of the Sterling House of Peoria, is a decorated Army Air Force veteran. He flew 35 missions in a B-24 bomber during WWII. He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross and an Oak Leaf Cluster, along with an Air Medal with three clusters and a Certificate...

Dan E., 84, at the Cumberland of Green Hills, served in the United States Navy for 10 years in the 1940s and 1950s; then, he returned to the military for an additional 10 years of duty with the U.S. Air Force at the age of 57--retiring as a lieutenant colonel. When he...

Edgar D., age 87, is a resident of Sterling House of Hays. His Wish of a Lifetime was to visit the National Museum of the Marine Corps, just outside of Washington D.C. Ed served in the Marine Corps from July 1943 to July 1946 and was in the same outfit as John Glenn...

Dick is an energetic and lively 88-year-old from Golden, CO. His Wish was to visit Quantico Marine Base to deliver his father's WWI memorabilia that will be displayed in Quantico's Marine Corps Museum. Dick was a member of the 10th Mountain Division during WWII. The...

Five WWII veterans from Colorado Springs, CO and Covington, TN had all wished to see the WWII Memorial at the National Mall in Washington, D.C. For all of them, this was the first and only chance they had to have their Wishes come true. Each one of them and their...

Frank, of Homewood Castle Hills in San Antonio, TX, is a proud World War II Air Force veteran and has dreamt of attending his last WWII reunion in Austin, Texas. Frank keeps his uniform and medals on display in his room and still wears his hat. He tells friends about...