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96-Year-Old Vet Too Weak To Walk to Wife's Grave. Two Men Carried Him There Instead

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Military men and women give up so much so that we can safely live in this wonderful country we call home.

Their service to the United States truly cannot be repaid, which is why it is truly heartwarming to see everyday citizens doing what they can to honor veterans.

Honor Flight Network is a non-profit organization that was created to honor U.S. veterans by taking them to Washington D.C. to visit memorials dedicated to the sacrifices that they made.

Honor Flight flew one World War II veteran from North Carolina to Washington D.C. to visit the memorials at the nation’s capital, but they went above and beyond for the 96-year-old.

George Boone was a B-24 pilot who was shot out of the sky and held as a prisoner of war by Nazis during World War II.

During his visit to Washington D.C., Boone wanted to make an unscheduled stop at Arlington National Cemetary to visit someone special: his wife of 56 years, Alma.

Volunteers were happy to fulfill this request, but as soon as they arrived at the cemetery, Boone’s son Jon realized that he had forgotten something vital for his dad to visit the grave.

“I said, ‘Dad, I forgot the wheelchair. Do you think you can walk with assistance?'” Jon Boone recounted to CNN. His father said he couldn’t and was going to have to reside to paying his respects to his wife from the car.

But the volunteers wanted to make sure that the veteran got to visit his beloved wife. They made a chair out of their arms and carried Boone to Alama’s grave where they held him up for 10 minutes.



One of the volunteers was so touched that he offered to carry the veteran all the way back to the car on his own.

“He said, ‘This is my honor and privilege. I’m going to carry you. Wrap your arms around my neck, I’ve got you,'” Jon Boone said.

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George Boone expressed his surprise at this gesture to Fox News. “I thought — carry me at my age, size and weight?” But the volunteer was insistent and carried the man all the way back to the car.

“Without a doubt, it gives you so much pride to be an American. It’s not all what we see on the news. There are incredible people out there waiting to do good things and show acts of kindness.”

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Erin Coates was an editor for The Western Journal for over two years before becoming a news writer. A University of Oregon graduate, Erin has conducted research in data journalism and contributed to various publications as a writer and editor.
Erin Coates was an editor for The Western Journal for over two years before becoming a news writer. She grew up in San Diego, California, proceeding to attend the University of Oregon and graduate with honors holding a degree in journalism. During her time in Oregon, Erin was an associate editor for Ethos Magazine and a freelance writer for Eugene Magazine. She has conducted research in data journalism, which has been published in the book “Data Journalism: Past, Present and Future.” Erin is an avid runner with a heart for encouraging young girls and has served as a coach for the organization Girls on the Run. As a writer and editor, Erin strives to promote social dialogue and tell the story of those around her.
Birthplace
Tucson, Arizona
Nationality
American
Honors/Awards
Graduated with Honors
Education
Bachelor of Arts in Journalism, University of Oregon
Books Written
Contributor for Data Journalism: Past, Present and Future
Location
Prescott, Arizona
Languages Spoken
English, French
Topics of Expertise
Politics, Health, Entertainment, Faith




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