On June 22nd, Wish of a Lifetime sent 8 veterans to Washington DC on a group trip to see the memorials erected in their honor. Most of the group traveled out of Denver, CO and were given a special send-off from the Wish of a Lifetime team and Davita volunteers. The group covered the spectrum as far as military branch and locations of service. The veterans were:
Harold S., age 91, from Charlotte, NC-Navy
Joseph J., age 88, from Denver, CO-Army
Wally W., age 79, from Waxahachie, TX-Army
Lewis W., age 79, from Rifle, CO-Marines
Gary A., age 71, from Denver, CO-Army
Gary F., age 75, from Hollywood, FL-Air Force
Craig S., age 65, from Denver, CO-Army
Steven V., age 69, from Denver, CO-Army
The trip was absolutely incredible as the veterans were treated like heroes throughout the trip. From the memorials, to Arlington, to the Air & Space museum, everyone wanted to come up and introduce themselves to the veterans. The veterans were especially surprised by the group of 8th graders from Stella Schola Middle School who stayed at the hotel and would come over during breakfast to chat with our veterans. They even put on a song and dance for the veterans on their last day in DC to show the veterans their gratitude.
The group bonded throughout the trip and made connections that will carry on into the future. Their service was honored throughout the trip and there was a sense of surprise and appreciation for the gratitude that they received throughout the trip, with many of them mentioning that they didn’t get this kind of reception when they returned home from active duty. It was certainly a memorable trip for everyone involved!
Thank you to Brookdale Senior Living for helping us send Harold, Wally and Craig to DC and to all of the family members who made this trip possible for such deserving veterans.
