Wish Stories

Retired Lieutenant Thomas served as a firefighter in Queens, New York, for twenty years. In 1967, Thomas was among 15 firefighters of Hook and Ladder Company 127 and Engine 298 commended for their bravery during the 1967 Jamaica Queens gas explosion. He participated...

Donald M. is an 87-year-old gentleman living in Henniker, NH, who has recently started to reflect on his experience in Normandy while serving in WWII. Donald was part of the amphibious Navy, ferrying soldiers – alive, wounded, and dead – to and from the Landing Ship,...

Helen, 91, of the Village at the Arboretum in Austin, TX, had a very unique experience during her service in WWII. As a young clerk working in Washington, D.C., during the war, a young woman approached her and introduced her to a new and emerging opportunity for women...

Quentin, 90, of Denver, CO, traveled the world for years as an Air Force pilot, but as he reached 90 years old there was only one place he still wanted to see. Quentin’s Wish of a Lifetime was to visit his commemorative tree at the Veterans Grove at the College of the...

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...