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Marine welcomed home for the holidays at O’Hare International Airport

By FOX 32 News
Published  December 21, 2024 9:50pm CST
O'Hare International Airport
FOX 32 Chicago

Marine welcomed home for the holidays at O’Hare International Airport

Lance Cpl. Diego Escobedo-Hernandez, a Berwyn native, received a warm welcome from his family at O’Hare International Airport after stepping off a plane.

The Brief

    • Lance Cpl. Diego Escobedo-Hernandez, a Berwyn native and drone operator stationed in North Carolina, reunited with his family at O’Hare International Airport thanks to the "Miles for Military" program.
    • The program enables people to donate unused airline miles to service members, helping them afford trips home.
    • Miles for Military aims to fund 100 flights this year; supporters can contribute through the program's website.

CHICAGO - Lance Cpl. Diego Escobedo-Hernandez, a Berwyn native, received a warm welcome from his family at O’Hare International Airport after stepping off a plane Saturday.

His trip home for the holidays was made possible through "Miles for Military," a program that allows people to donate unused airline miles to service members.

Escobedo-Hernandez, a drone operator stationed at a base in North Carolina, said he wouldn’t have been able to visit his family without the program's help.

"Being back home in Chicago feels great. It feels amazing. I miss hearing the pilot say, ‘Welcome to Chicago.’ It's a feeling I haven't been able to feel in almost a year, so it feels good to be back," Escobedo-Hernandez said. 

The Miles for Military program aims to fund 100 flights for enlisted military members this year.

For more information or to contribute, visit the program's website.

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