Longtime Gorham resident Robert Mountain recently had the opportunity to experience the trip of a lifetime through Honor Flight Maine.

The Honor Flight Network is a nonprofit organization created solely to honor America’s veterans for all their sacrifices. Honor Flight transports America’s heroes, free of charge, to Washington, D.C. to visit and reflect at their memorials. Top priority is given to senior veterans – World War II survivors, along with those other veterans who may be terminally ill.

Born in Portland, Mountain moved to Gorham as a young man. After graduating from Gorham High School, Bob served in Korea during World War II in 1946. As a rifleman with the 1st infantry regiment, attached to the 6th infantry division, Mountain and his fellow infantrymen were tasked with securing and liberating southern Korea from Japanese control. One year to his day of deployment, he was sent back to America and soon thereafter enrolled in business school. After years of work at Maine Steel and in the insurance industry, Mountain retired as a food broker.

His daughter, Tammy Woodbury, submitted an application to Honor Flight Maine recommending her father for consideration. Last month, Mountain, now 91 years old, left the Portland Jetport for Baltimore, Maryland with fifty other veterans from Maine.

“We all had our own personal guardian who was responsible for our physical safety and security. Mine was a wonderful man, retired from the Coast Guard, currently a nurse and EMT,” said Mountain.

“Once we landed in Baltimore, we received a catered box lunch and started our tour, visiting Fort McHenry and Fort Meade.” On Saturday, the veterans from Honor Flight Maine boarded a bus and traveled with a police escort from Baltimore to Washington, D.C.

They spent the day visiting all the national memorials constructed to honor the service and sacrifice of those in arms, with a personalized tour and guide at each. “I have been to Washington, D.C. on several occasions,” he said, “but this was the first time that I was able to visit the memorials and have them thoroughly explained to me.”

“I thought the Women’s Memorial, at Arlington National Cemetery, was exceptionally well done. We had two female veterans on our trip and it was wonderful to see them honored and recognized.” However, for Mountain, the highlight of the trip was the National WWII Memorial.

“If anyone has a friend or relative that is a veteran, please encourage them to nominate their loved one for participation in the Honor Flight program. It was incredibly well done; there was no wait, no downtime. Everyone was so nice on the trip and it was extremely well organized. I came out of the experience with so many good memories that I will cherish.”

Although Mountain, who ran his first Beach to Beacon race at age 80 and has run eleven straight since, is showing no signs of slowing down, he wants to make it clear that the Honor Flight program is open to all abilities. “It doesn’t matter what your physical or mental capacity is; you will be very well taken care of.”

For those at the Honor Flight network, “all should have an opportunity to see and appreciate how our nation honors those who were willing to lay down their very lives in service to our country.”

If you would like to make a donation, nominate a veteran, or find out more information on the Honor Flight program, please visit honorflightmaine.org or email the organization at mainehonorflight@gmail.com.