{"id":991,"date":"2026-05-19T05:04:54","date_gmt":"2026-05-19T05:04:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tampamovingjournal.com\/?p=991"},"modified":"2026-05-19T05:04:54","modified_gmt":"2026-05-19T05:04:54","slug":"lakeland-navy-veteran-honors-fallen-cousin-on-all-female-flight-of-honor-to-washington-d-c","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tampamovingjournal.com\/?p=991","title":{"rendered":"Lakeland Navy veteran honors fallen cousin on all-female ‘Flight of Honor’ to Washington, D.C."},"content":{"rendered":"

WASHINGTON, D.C.<\/strong> – <\/span>For Lakeland\u00a0resident Jean Harkins, the journey to Washington, D.C. was about much more than recognition.<\/p>

Read more Hillsborough County plans major traffic relief projects for growing Lithia, Riverview communities<\/a><\/p>

The backstory:<\/p>

The 88-year-old retired Navy control tower operator joined dozens of female veterans aboard an Allegiant Air\u00a0Flight of Honor departing from Lakeland Linder International Airport,\u00a0part of the largest all-female veteran Flight of Honor out of Florida.<\/p>

<\/div>

While the trip celebrated the women\u2019s service to the country, Harkins said it also gave her the chance to honor someone close to her heart: her cousin, Marine Private First-Class Rifleman Daniel Lloyd Meysembourg,\u00a0who was killed in Vietnam at just 18 years old.<\/p>

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Timeline:<\/p>

Harkins served in the U.S. Navy during the Cold War after joining in 1956.<\/p>

Harkins originally hoped to become a Navy parachute rigger but was told too many women were refusing to jump with parachutes packed by women.\u00a0<\/p>

Navy officials instead suggested Harkins work as a yeoman, an administrative role. She pushed back.<\/p>

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“I didn\u2019t want to do that in civilian life. Why would I want to do that in the military?” Harkins said.<\/p>

Instead, Harkins requested air traffic control. Though she was told she was not qualified, she insisted they give her a chance.<\/p>

Harkins went on to serve three years as a control tower operator in Brunswick, Maine, where she met her husband.<\/p>

Challenges for women in the military<\/h2>

Dig deeper:<\/p>

Harkins said being a woman in the military during that era came with challenges.<\/p>

“Back then it wasn\u2019t easy being a woman in the service,” Harkins said. “The men kind of looked at you in a different light.”<\/p>

Read more Tampa Electric warns of scammers using AI, fake websites to target utility customers<\/a><\/p>

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Harkins’ military experience, like many women veterans of her generation, often went unrecognized compared to those who served during active wars.<\/p>

Still, Harkins says every story matters.\u00a0<\/p>

“But I loved my job, it was a great job,” Harkins said.\u00a0<\/p>

Big picture view:<\/p>

This Flight of Honor landed on a deeply personal anniversary; 58 years to the day since Harkins’ cousin, Danny Meysembourg, was killed in Vietnam.<\/p>

Meysembourg enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps at just 17 years old, with his parents\u2019 permission. He died one year later.<\/p>

“There was nothing left of him really to bury,” Harkins said. “They sent a coffin and my aunt, she didn\u2019t believe he was in the coffin. She never got over it.”<\/p>

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Stopping at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Harkins traced his name from the wall, something Harkins plans to frame in her home.<\/p>

Harkins described the moment as both painful and meaningful.<\/p>

“Sad and happy. I was happy to be there. It\u2019s sad that the reason I was there was to see his name on the wall,” Harkins said.<\/p>

Peace and closure<\/h2>

What’s next:<\/p>

Now back home in Lakeland, Harkins says the trip gave her a sense of peace.<\/p>

“It was wonderful. It was like being liberated,” Harkins said.<\/p>

For her, the journey was never just about honoring her own service, it was about remembering those who never made it home.<\/p>

Read more Tampa\u2019s Armature Works developers win initial approval for Blind Pass Marina revitalization in St. Pete Beach<\/a><\/p> <\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The 88-year-old retired Navy control tower operator joined dozens of female veterans aboard an Allegiant Air\u00a0Flight of Honor departing from Lakeland Linder International Airport,\u00a0part of the largest all-female veteran Flight of Honor out of Florida.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":986,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[83,102,101,200],"tags":[85,105,104,201],"class_list":["post-991","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-lakeland","category-military-may","category-veterans","category-washington-d-c","tag-lakeland","tag-military-may","tag-veterans","tag-washington-d-c"],"yoast_head":"\nLakeland Navy veteran honors fallen cousin on all-female 'Flight of Honor' to 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=991\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Lakeland Navy veteran honors fallen cousin on all-female 'Flight of Honor' to Washington, D.C. - 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