Dear Editor:
As members of Operation Bugle Boy - the organization that raises funds to honor Veterans, Law Enforcement Officers, Firefighters and First Responders - we were led by the spirit to stand on an I-70 overpass the night of Aug. 31 to pay tribute to the Honor Flight Veterans as they returned from St. Louis Airport to Columbia.
It was our first time to experience the excitement and joy of this huge caravan of patriots celebrating their service to our great nation. As we looked to the east we saw this mass of lighted vehicles coming toward us. They flashed their lights and sounded their horns as we waved our flashlights, hands and American flags.
The mass was led by a lone State Highway Patrol car with lights flashing and then came perhaps 200 or more motorcycles in twos. Riders were waving with one hand while occasionally revving their engines or honking their horns. Then came two buses carrying the true heroes and patriots of our country.
Even though we could not see their faces, in our hearts we know they were smiling because we took time to honor them. Behind the buses came an army of motorcycles two by two. There must have been 400 or more followed by two State Highway Patrol cars side by side. The whole caravan must have been at least two-miles long.
What a sight to see! It brought tears to our eyes. You must put this on your bucket list. Get a schedule of the upcoming Honor Flights and go stand along I-70 from Kingdom City to Columbia and experience the rush of patriotism all over your body. At that moment we were not thinking of the problems America is facing, we were only proud of all the men and women who wore the uniforms that represent the greatest nation in the world.
So instead of your usual Labor Day celebration, get your family and friends together, plan and go experience the next Honor Flight caravan on Oct. 4. Another way to honor our military/veterans is to vote on Nov. 8. They sacrifice(d) and put their lives on the line so that we have the right to vote and to keep America a great nation.
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