'You realize the cost of war': Retired Schaumburg pastor moved by Honor Flight

The Rev. George Kane, the retired founding pastor of Schaumburg's Church of the Holy Spirit Catholic parish, is far from the first military veteran to be deeply moved by the experience of an Honor Flight to the war memorials in Washington, D.C.

But characteristic of his lifetime of spiritual guidance, a large part of the trip's impact on the 97-year-old former Air Force chaplain was in his observation of how it affected fellow veterans.

"For me, the greatest experience on coming back was the reception at Midway (Airport)," Kane said last week, back home at the Friendship Village retirement community in Schaumburg. "That's when I realized the real support was for those who were in conflict and combat. Some of them were crying when they got off the plane. They were the real heroes."

Kane qualified for the Honor Flight because of his year stationed in South Korea, where the Air Force was training Korean pilots to fly jets.

But the trip to Washington was more relevant to him because of a later assignment in Florida in the early 1960s, when he counseled young men preparing for possible combat in Vietnam.

"I think (Honor Flight) was another opportunity for me, at 97, to share the experience of people who served in Vietnam," Kane said. "You realize the real cost of war when you see those memorials. ... These were real people."

Kane said he still feels pain remembering the lack of respect young people received when they returned from Vietnam.

"It disgusted me to see people spit on. They should have been treated with respect," he said.

Though it's his second nature to focus on others, Kane said the Honor Flight held personal meaning as well. But others might interpret that impact as an example of his typical selflessness.

"I think it deepened my respect for each person," he said. "Every one has a story."

Kane was one of 111 veterans on his Honor Flight, only one of whom had served in World War II.

The flight occurred on Wednesday, July 11, a day the Chicago area was hard hit by severe storms and tornadoes. Kane was impressed by the volunteers who drove through the storms to be part of the welcome-home reception at Midway than by the safety of the return flight.

He's also grateful for the overall Honor Flight program, which was launched to make it possible for veterans to visit the memorials built in their honor.

Only 40 of the 111 veterans on his trip, including Kane, had a personal friend accompany them. The rest were assisted by volunteers in Washington.

Kane's friend, Dawn Mayer, thinks she might now volunteer once a year to be a personal assistant for others taking the flights, he said.

Ordained a priest in 1951, Kane believes the discipline he acquired as an Air Force chaplain helped foster the leadership skills he had as a faculty member at St. Mary of the Lake University/Mundelein Seminary and the various Archdiocese of Chicago parishes where he served - especially the 24 years at Church of the Holy Spirit before his 1996 retirement.

"The military has goals, and structures to effect those goals, and I think I picked that up," Kane said. "I wanted to be my own boss. I chose the Air Force because I knew I'd be the only Catholic priest on the base, unlike in the Army or the Navy. I made good choices. Obedience and docility don't suit me so well. I think (my students and parishioners) benefitted greatly from this trait in myself."