Senior Siyassa Mathis was recently selected to participate in the Hudson Valley Honor Flight Junior Guardian Program and was part of the Oct. 18 “Mission 37” trip which brought 80 area veterans, including one World War II veteran, to Washington, D.C. to visit their national monuments/memorials.
The Hudson Valley Honor Flight (HVHF) organization honors veterans from the greater Hudson Valley region for their military sacrifices and service by arranging special, free trips to bring them to Washington, D.C. visit their national monuments/memorials which honor their service. Top priority is given to World War II and terminally ill veterans from other wars. But veterans from other wars are equally welcome.
In her role as a HVHF “junior guardian,” where she also represented Minisink Valley, Siyassa provided physical and emotional assistance to Vietnam veteran Michael Gould, who was also part of the Cold War era, so he had a safe and memorable trip experience. This included helping at the airport, during the flights, at the hotel and at the monuments/memorials visits.
“The Honor Flight truly changed my life,” she said. “The day was spectacular. We visited many memorials like the Vietnam Memorial, Korean War Memorial and the Arlington ceremony (the Changing of the Guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery ) was very cool.”
Siyassa said she gained more knowledge about the service given to the nation by veterans. But she also gained even more respect for what all have done to serve, protect and defend the country.
“I'm proud that I got to honor my veteran and his journey through that time,” she said. “Michael said something that will always stick with me: ‘Even If I don't remember who I fought with, I honor the fellow soldiers who fought for our country.’ I also gained a life-long best friend during this trip, our endless laughs about TV shows, him explaining to me about hunting, and us being the first ones out of the bus to us getting lost in the airport. I wouldn't have done it with anyone else.”
Siyassa added she hoped more people her age could have the opportunity and thanked all involved for “selecting me for this life changing experience.”