Volunteers Give Happy Homecomings to Troops at BWI
Baltimore Washington Airport, or BWI, receives more returning veterans than any airport in the nation, but most are only passing through for a connecting flight home.
One person’s idea has transformed that homecoming.
Captain Kathy Thorp, a Navy reservist, noticed that service members landing at BWI rarely had family members to welcome them back to the United States, so she created Operation Welcome Home Maryland.
“It’s so exciting to watch their faces coming through the doors because they’re not expecting anybody to be there,” Thorp said.
Veterans returning to BWI from overseas deployments never anticipated this.
“It was very emotional and exciting.”
“It’s truly special. Makes me feel special. Especially serving the country. I think the rest of the soldiers feel the same way. Thank you,” said Dante Hester, veteran.
Operation Welcome Home Maryland is a reality because Navy Reservist Captain Kathy Thorp saw a need and came up with a solution.
“Sometimes they’ll even have their cameras going because they’re so touched by it. Some come out and kiss the ground. Some of them come out in tears,” Thorp said.
*”It’s really nice because my family can’t be here because I have two connecting flights,” said Ashley Langford, veteran.
Since its creation in 2007, the group has welcomed home more than 600,000 veterans.
“It still brings tears to my eyes.”
The service members are all returning from overseas deployments. Some directly from combat zones.
“Wasn’t expecting it but it’s fantastic. I appreciate it. Thank you,” said Lt. Col. Keith Scorza, another veteran.
Many who show up are veterans themselves, including those from the Vietnam era.
“Well for me, it’s very important because I know the kind of welcome we got when I came back in 1968,” said Jake Dickey, another veteran.
And now, these soldiers return to the warm embrace of fellow Americans.
“I’m proud that they’re serving our country because there are a lot of people that don’t. 59 They take the country for granted. And our freedom for granted” said veteran Michael Dorrycott.
“It’s a volunteer service. And all of these people have stepped up. And I think that’s pretty awesome,” Thorp said.
For Thorp, the mission is personal. Her husband and three of her four children are on active duty.
As surprised service members arrived to a hero’s welcome, soldiers watched intently from the upper deck at BWI. They were just shipping out.
The dedication and passion of the countless volunteers is what keeps this organization growing. One is a man in a wheelchair who hires a college student to drive him to the airport every week, for as many flights as he can welcome home.
Some service members do have loved ones waiting, so Operation Welcome Home Maryland volunteers have witnessed more than 50 engagements, and even some veterans meeting their newborns for the first time.
Read original story at WUSA9.