World War II Veterans Cut A Rug Waiting At Airport

May 03, 2021

We are all familiar with being stuck at the airport waiting for a delayed flight home after a fun trip to somewhere interesting. Typically, this would be a cause for frustration and could even ruin your day. This was not the case for World War II veterans Marin Perryman and Paul Kopey when they experienced a flight delay on their way home to Kentucky from Washington D.C. 

Fox 5 reported that they were part of a large group of people traveling on an Honor Flight, which is a program that provides free flights to Washington D.C. for veterans to visit the capital’s war memorials. While waiting for the flight, the passengers were surprised with a performance of the Andrews Sisters hit “Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy," which was played by the air hostesses in the airport. 

The performance was captured in a video that was posted back in 2015. As soon as the women started singing, Perryman stood up and at first pretended to be shocked, confused and unsteady on his feet. Suddenly, he began to dance with truly incredible vigor and impressive footwork. The then-90-year-old delighted the crowd of waiting passengers with his dancing skills. 

After Perryman dances by himself for a moment, a second man stands up and heads over to start singing with the Ladies of Liberty. This is Kopey, and he looked thrilled to be hearing this old tune again and wanted to join in. He stood beside them for a moment as the crowd took photos, then a young woman stood up and asked for him to dance with her. The pair impressed the onlookers with their joyful dance. 

At one point in the video, the three dancers pointed at one another and joined in a group hug. It was touching to see such happiness on their faces. Then someone from the crowd called out “You aren’t done yet,” which made them get back to dancing. This time Perryman partnered with the young lady and the two of them showed off truly fancy footwork while swing dancing together. 

They continued dancing together until the end of “Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy,” when someone called out to Perryman, “Hey, it’s the Marin show!” as a response to his legendary dancing skills. A huge smile spread across his face at the comment. It seemed like this surprise performance really made his day. 

After the song was over the young woman who got up to join in said, “I miss swing dancing!” It seems like this was a great opportunity for people, young and old, to honor war veterans and enjoy a hit song from the 1940s. 

The description of the video on YouTube said, “Marin Perryman and Paul Kopey are both World War II veterans and they are having a great time dancing at the airport waiting for the plane to arrive. Don't you hope you can dance like that in your 90's?” To answer that question, we sure do!

One person commented on the video and said, “Oh, my goodness!  I loved dancing with these gents! It isn't every day that a WWII vet can out dance you! After an early morning and a long day traipsing all over DC, these veterans still have amazing energy!” 

Another commenter said, “Perfect! The spirit of these old warriors is still inside of them and with us. We are truly blessed to have these men and women still in our midst. God Bless them all! Great video!” It is clear that this video allowed viewers the opportunity to honor war veterans and remember the sacrifices they made. Another person shared this comment, “Made me cry tears of joy. All my brothers were in WW2. Thanks for posting. Happy memories.”

The mission of the Honor Flight program is to transport American veterans to Washington D.C. so they can see the memorials that have been built to honor those who have served and sacrificed for their country. Their website states that the organization is a national network of local chapters that work together to bring forth the goal of showing veterans the appreciation and honor that they deserve. 

Currently, the Honor Flight program is serving veterans from the World War II, Korean War and Vietnam War eras. They also serve terminally-ill veterans from any era. The organization was formed in 2005 by Jeff Miller and Earl Morse. Since its inception, the program has served over 240,000 veterans. The organization is made up of 125 local hubs that serve over 22,000 veterans a year from around the country.

This fun-filled and touching video reminds us to respect the older generation and honor our nation’s veterans every day. The men dancing in this video looked genuinely happy despite waiting for a delayed flight home after a trip to Washington D.C.’s war memorials. 

Did you find this video heartwarming? What would you think if you saw this at the airport? Let us know what you think and be sure to pass this along to your loved ones.