Welcoming Honor Flight Kern County to Washington, D.C.
Friends,
Yesterday morning, it was a privilege to join our nation's heroes at Arlington National Cemetery as part of Honor Flight Kern County's trip to Washington, D.C. this week. In attendance were 97 WWII, Korean War, and Vietnam War veterans and their Honor Flight guardians who traveled from Kern County to visit memorials and monuments honoring their valiant service. While visiting Arlington National Cemetery, these veterans participated in a special wreath-laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.
One of the attendees included Ronald Holdsworth, who served as an Allied Soldier of the Royal Air Force during WWII and entered service in Bradford, Yorkshire, England in 1940. Mr. Holdsworth now resides in Bakersfield, California, and turned 100 years young this past Monday, September 13. We had the honor of celebrating Mr. Holdsworth's birthday with him, and was joined in doing so by the British Ambassador to the United States Karen Pierce, who honored Mr. Holdsworth on behalf of the United Kingdom.
It was an honor to speak with our heroes and thank them for their service, love of country and devout patriotism, and for defending our freedoms. It is due to the generations of brave men and women like those I met yesterday that democracy and freedom remain the foundations of American life.
I will always be thankful for our veterans.