Common Sense Media Review
By Tracy Moore
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Moving docu about WWII veterans is emotionally intense.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 12+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Honor Flight
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
A Midwestern community of volunteers aids World War II veterans, often in their 80s and 90s, and many with terminal illnesses, in seeing the new memorial built in their honor in D.C. before they pass away.
Is It Any Good?
HONOR FLIGHT is a moving documentary about the work that can be done when a group of passionate people work toward a common goal. In this case, the goal is simple: Help WWII veterans, who die at the rate of 900 a day at the time of the documentary's filming, visit a WWII memorial in their honor before they pass away. For kids interested in history, this puts a very human touch on a distant war. These are living veterans discussing their memories of losing friends and fellow soldiers to battle, surrounded by their loved ones today who want to show respect for their service. There are some good context discussions of important battles, but the main focus of the documentary is the way a community came together to provide this service, free of cost, and must race against time to extend the offer to terminally ill veterans who sometimes are in no shape to travel. Better for older kids due to the emotional intensity, but, for those mature enough, it provides a compelling picture of families mobilizing to give closure to a generation that's expected to be gone entirely within the next 20 years.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about why it's important to hear the stories of our veterans. Why do you think these stories matter so much? What can we do to make sure these stories aren't forgotten?
How can we help show appreciation for military service members? How does your family celebrate military service?
Why do you think it was so important for the veterans to see the memorial in D.C.?
Movie Details
- On DVD or streaming : June 4, 2014
- Director : Dan Hayes
- Studio : Vivendi
- Genre : Documentary
- Topics : History
- Run time : 82 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- Last updated : October 1, 2025
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