When a 96-year-old veteran was too weak to walk to his wife’s grave, he was resigned to paying his respects from the car – until two onlookers insisted on going the distance for him instead.
George Boone had been a pilot who was a prisoner of war to the Nazis during WWII. As a means of paying tribute to his services, Boone was flown from North Carolina to Washington D.C. by the Honor Flight Network – an organization that pays for veterans to visit their respective memorials at the nation’s capital.
While they were in the city, Boone asked if they could visit the grave of his late wife Alma, who was laid to rest in 2008.
Though it was technically not a stop on the Honor tour, they were more than happy to oblige.
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Unfortunately, they arrived at the cemetery on Saturday only for Boone’s son Jon to realize that he had forgotten his father’s wheelchair. When he asked if his father had the strength to walk, the veteran said no.
The two Honor Flight volunteers who had escorted the father and son then offered to carry George to the grave – and though he was initially reluctant, he eventually accepted. The men made a chair with their arms and carried the veteran all the way to the resting site. For ten minutes, they held George so he could pay his respects.
One of the men was so touched by the exchange, he offered to carry George back to the car on his back.
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“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 recounted to CNN. “And off they went.”
“Without a doubt, it gives you so much pride to be an American,” Jon Boone said. “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.”
Click To Share The Emotional Story With Your Friends – Photos by Jon Boone