{"id":945,"date":"2026-05-18T20:06:12","date_gmt":"2026-05-18T20:06:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tampamovingjournal.com\/?p=945"},"modified":"2026-05-18T20:06:12","modified_gmt":"2026-05-18T20:06:12","slug":"all-female-flight-of-honor-gives-florida-veterans-long-overdue-recognition-in-washington-d-c","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tampamovingjournal.com\/?p=945","title":{"rendered":"All-female Flight of Honor gives Florida veterans long-overdue recognition in Washington, D.C."},"content":{"rendered":"

WASHINGTON, DC<\/strong> – <\/span>For decades, Honor Flights have brought veterans to Washington, D.C. to visit the nation\u2019s memorials.\u00a0<\/p>

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But for many women who served, those moments of recognition often felt out of reach.<\/p>

An all-female Flight of Honor brought 120 women veterans from across Florida to Washington, D.C. in March, marking the largest trip of its kind from the state.<\/p>

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The journey included a flight from Lakeland to Baltimore, followed by a bus ride into the nation\u2019s capital, where veterans visited iconic memorials and were honored for their service.<\/p>

The effort was spearheaded by the General Federation of Women\u2019s Clubs Florida, which spent more than two years organizing and fundraising for the trip.<\/p>

The backstory:<\/p>

Honor Flights have long been a tradition for veterans, offering free trips to Washington to visit memorials dedicated to their service. But, organizers noticed something missing.<\/p>

“For quite some time, I would watch as veterans came off the flights and there would be no women,” said Sara Dessereau, president of the General Federation of Women’s Clubs Florida.\u00a0<\/p>

That observation sparked a mission: create a flight dedicated entirely to women veterans.\u00a0<\/p>

Dessereau and GFWC members raised $220,000 to rent out an Allegiant flight, book hotels, and buses.<\/p>

The experience<\/h2>

From the moment they landed in Baltimore, the group was greeted with cheers and gratitude.<\/p>

In Washington, they visited the Lincoln Memorial, the Korean War Veterans Memorial, and Arlington National Cemetery, including the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.<\/p>

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On the flight home, a traditional “mail call” brought many to tears \u2014 letters from loved ones, lawmakers and even drawings from students.<\/p>

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For veterans, it was a deeply emotional moment.<\/p>

“If you\u2019ve ever been deployed without your family, you know how important mail call is,” one participant said.<\/p>

What they’re saying:<\/p>

Many women said their time in the military came with challenges that often went unrecognized.<\/p>

Gloria Lovers, a retired Army communications specialist with top-secret clearance, said she faced skepticism and harassment during her service.<\/p>

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“The men didn\u2019t think we knew much or could do much,” Lovers said. “There were a lot of situations we had to deal with.”<\/p>

Retired Air Force Aviation Resource Manager Melanie Levitz shared that she served 23 years but still carries the emotional weight of a sexual assault by a superior during deployment.<\/p>

Despite those experiences, the trip offered something powerful: acknowledgment.<\/p>

Big picture view:<\/p>

For many of these women, this trip wasn\u2019t just about sightseeing, it was about healing.<\/p>

At the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, some traced the names of fallen service members, friends, colleagues and fellow service members.<\/p>

Others reflected on the cost of war and the sacrifices made.<\/p>

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The visit to the Military Women’s Memorial allowed each veteran to leave her mark in the books, cementing their place in history.<\/p>

What’s next:<\/p>

Organizers say any remaining funds from the trip will be donated to nonprofits that support female veterans transitioning back to civilian life.<\/p>

There is also hope this won\u2019t be the last all-female Honor Flight, opening the door for more women to receive the recognition they say has long been overdue.<\/p>

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An all-female Flight of Honor brought 120 women veterans from across Florida to Washington, D.C. in March, marking the largest trip of its kind from the state.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":940,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[25,102,101,200],"tags":[26,105,104,201],"class_list":["post-945","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-florida","category-military-may","category-veterans","category-washington-d-c","tag-florida","tag-military-may","tag-veterans","tag-washington-d-c"],"yoast_head":"\nAll-female Flight of Honor gives Florida veterans long-overdue recognition in Washington, D.C. - Tampa moving journal<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/tampamovingjournal.com\/?p=945\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"All-female Flight of Honor gives Florida veterans long-overdue recognition in Washington, D.C. - 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