Peter Glennon's dedicated to Honor Flights and veterans

Peter Glennon of Pittsford is a military veteran and American Legion member who helped found the local chapter of Honor Flight.

So when it comes to patriotic holidays such as the Fourth of July, Glennon has strong feelings about the significance.

"Independence Day is the first time that Americans stood up and said, 'We are Americans, this is what we stand for,' " Glennon said. "It's the first time that we formally and publicly announced what we stand for. What does it mean to be American? It starts with Independence Day. That's who we are."

Glennon, 40, grew up in Millbrook, Dutchess County, in a close-knit community of the Hudson Valley Region. That's where he realized he wanted to join the military and serve his country.

"I grew up in a small town with an American Legion where recognizing the veterans is very important," he said. "Community was everything, and the community was comprised of a lot of veterans. My family, our blood is red, white and blue. It's just part of who I am."

Glennon has nearly 24 years of military experience, 10 as a full-time member of the U.S. Air Force and almost 14 more as a member of the Air National Guard, where he's a major. He went to Albany Law School, came to Rochester as a clerk for the Appellate Division of the State Supreme Court and now is a litigation attorney with his own practice in the Linden Oaks complex.

He and his wife, Kimberly, have lived in Pittsford for six years. They have three children.

Around 2006, Glennon read a story about the roots of Honor Flight, a program that takes military veterans free of charge to Washington, D.C. to see the memorials of the wars that they fought. He was so moved that he decided to start a similar operation here.

The first local flight, or "mission," as Glennon calls it, was in October, 2008 with eight veterans. The program, which started mainly for World War II veterans, has grown tremendously.

"We're one of 85 (Honor Flights) in the country," said Glennon, who is chairman of the local Honor Flight board of directors. "We're the first with overnight trips. We take them on Saturdays and bring them back on Sundays. It becomes a transformational experience. We tour all the monuments, and the stories are coming out, the thoughts are coming out. They become (young) again."

Often, the tears come out, too, but tears of joy and appreciation. Caregivers accompany the veterans. So do veterans' widows and widowers.

Honor Flight locally has made 35 "missions" involving 1,628 veterans, Glennon said. The veterans come from an area that extends from east of Buffalo to just west of Syracuse. A new chapter started in Syracuse a year ago.

The costs are met by donations. Glennon said the organization has 300 local and passionate volunteers.

"Every vet is more than deserving of the gratitude that we express," he said. "I want to show every one of those veterans how much I appreciate what they did. We're not just saying thank you for their fighting, but for everything that they've done since they came back. They built our communities."

Al Herdklotz, commander of the American Legion Post in Pittsford, said he invited Glennon to talk about Honor Flight at a meeting last fall. Everyone was impressed by Glennon's dedication, Herdklotz said.

"He's a serious advocate of family, country and friends, who reflects patriotism and caring," Herdklotz said. "I firmly believe if he had been born in the 1700s, he would have been one of the Founding Fathers."

Honor Flight is free to all World War II and Korean War veterans and to veterans from any era suffering from a terminal illness. The priority has been to get the oldest veterans first because of their health issues; assignments for Korean War vets just started this year, and the response has been tremendous, Glennon said.

The last local mission, over Father's Day weekend, was the first predominantly composed of Korean War veterans. The aging World War II veterans are dying off at a rate of 1,200 daily in the United States, he said, and up-to-date statistics indicate only slightly more than a million are left.

Honor Flight traditionally does six missions yearly (three in the spring and three in the fall) but added a seventh this year. More information is available on the organization's website, honorflightrochester.org

It's never too late to get involved, Glennon said.

"We have two 97-year-olds who just signed up," he said.

Glennon also coaches Little League baseball, is a member of the Rochester Rotary Club and is town leader of the Pittsford Republican Committee. He's quick to give credit to all who have helped in his endeavors, particularly his wife, Kimberly.

"The only reason I'm able to do all of this is because of my wife," he said. "She keeps it all running."

Glennon makes sure the Honor Flights keep flying. And that's something to celebrate on the Fourth of July or anytime.

Morrell is a Rochester-based freelance writer.

Get to know Peter Glennon

• Glennon and his wife, Kimberly, have three children: 6-year-old twins Pierce and Madeline, and 2-year-old Holden.

• He enjoys skeet shooting (clay pigeons) as a hobby.

• His ideal vacation spot is by the seashore, including North Carolina's Outer Banks.

• Glennon plans to enjoy a "traditional" Fourth of July with a barbecue, swimming in the family pool and relaxing.