By Zasha M. Rodriquez, Esq
Most of us think of Memorial Day as a three-day weekend – an opportunity to shop for sales, barbecue with friends, or just enjoy the luxury of a no-work Monday.
Often considered the unofficial beginning of summer, Memorial Day actually is a national holiday honoring those who died while in military service. In the course of enjoying an extended weekend and spending time with family and friends, we often forget the holiday’s true patriotic significance.
Flying the flag and decorating the table in red, white and blue is a nice start, but I sought to broaden my involvement in veterans’ causes. My boyfriend served in Iraq and, we visited Washington, D.C. and Arlington Cemetery, I knew that duplicating his experience for other veterans should be high on my bucket list.
Turns out my bucket list is a shared passion. A friend introduced me to Honor Flight Network, a national non-profit organization created solely to honor America’s veterans for their sacrifice and service. The group transports vets to Washington, D.C. to visit the memorials, with top priority given to World II survivors and terminally ill veterans.
There are many ways we can volunteer:
- Join the Honor Flight Network’s “mail call” by writing letters to the veterans for them to read on the flight back from Washington.
- Watch this video. It’s a life changer – just ask the Goldstein Law staff! Then sponsor a lunch and learn at your office to learn how you can help.
- Come to Hollywood-Fort Lauderdale International Airport’s Terminal 3 on Saturday, May 31, 8 p.m. and join “Operation Homecoming” to welcome vets returning from their D.C. visit. Wear red, white and blue, bring a flag and your family and help show our “firm” support for this organization.
It could be the last hurrah for some of these veterans….why not make it your first?
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