Women of Honor

by Laura Breen Galante

Five Central Florida veterans recently traveled to Washington, D.C., as part of a historic flight made possible by the General Federation of Women’s Clubs (GFWC) Florida. 

The Flight of Honor was modeled after the Honor Flight Network, a nonprofit organization that celebrates veterans by giving them an all-expenses-paid, one-day trip to our country’s capital. 

There was one key difference with Flight of Honor, though: it was just for women veterans who live in Florida and are members of GFWC groups. On board for the momentous journey were     Karyn Rinaldi (Navy), a member of the Lake Mary Woman’s Club; and Doris Blanchard (Navy), Essie Kosmerl (California Army National Guard), Sally Lukens (Navy), and Laurel Ross (Army), all of the Oviedo Woman’s Club.

Trip of a Lifetime

The project was the brainchild of Sara Dessureau, president of GFWC Florida. The inaugural flight was made possible by GFWC groups around the state, which raised more than $210,000 to send about 120 female veterans (ages 32 to 91) on the journey of a lifetime. The women represented generations of military service from the Korean War to present day.

The busy day of travel began before sunrise on a March morning, with their plane flying out of Lakeland to D.C. The jam-packed trip included visits to Arlington National Cemetery, the Lincoln Memorial and other monuments at the National Mall, and the Military Women’s Memorial, a one-of-a-kind tribute to America’s servicewomen. The director of the Military Women’s Memorial welcomed the Flight of Honor participants, who enjoyed lunch on the property. 

Laurel, a Winter Springs resident, found the group’s visit to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier to be especially moving. While there, the women observed a solemn Changing of the Guard ceremony.

“There were four times the sergeant in charge of that ceremony honored us [nonverbally],” says Laurel, an Army captain who served for eight years as a pilot. “That was something that was very cool.”

Another highlight of the day was mail call. During their service, soldiers look forward to receiving mail from friends, family, and other loved ones, and this experience was no different. 

“The organizers made sure everybody had mail,” says Laurel, including cards from school kids and letters from relatives. “It really takes you back to doing mail call in the military, especially if you were deployed.”

Thank You for Your Service

Karyn, a lieutenant commander who served in the Navy from 1986 to 2006, has been involved with the Honor Flight organization for years and has helped pay tribute to other veterans. But the roles were reversed on the Flight of Honor, with Karyn being recognized, herself. 

“People wrote letters thanking us for what we do,” says Karyn. “Somebody wrote a letter that said, ‘You were willing to sacrifice 20 years of your life and deploy if needed,’ and that gave me a whole new perspective on what I did. It really changed the way I felt about myself and my military career.”

When the women’s plane landed, it received a fire truck water cannon salute, and a crowd of locals in patriotic attire were at the airport to cheer for the veterans.

“The homecoming was really special,” says Karyn. “To actually have people thanking me, congratulating me, and handing us tokens of thanks…I was in awe. It was a really neat feeling and a very rewarding day.’”

Like Karyn and her fellow Oviedo Woman’s Club members, Laurel was grateful for the experience.

“People will say, ‘Thank you for your service,’” says Laurel. “And I think the best response is, ‘It’s a country worth serving. And that’s why we do it.’”