Lakeland Navy veteran honors fallen cousin on all-female 'Flight of Honor' to Washington, D.C.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - For Lakeland resident Jean Harkins, the journey to Washington, D.C. was about much more than recognition.

The backstory:

The 88-year-old retired Navy control tower operator joined dozens of female veterans aboard an Allegiant Air Flight of Honor departing from Lakeland Linder International Airport, part of the largest all-female veteran Flight of Honor out of Florida.

While the trip celebrated the women’s service to the country, Harkins said it also gave her the chance to honor someone close to her heart: her cousin, Marine Private First-Class Rifleman Daniel Lloyd Meysembourg, who was killed in Vietnam at just 18 years old.

Timeline:

Harkins served in the U.S. Navy during the Cold War after joining in 1956.

Harkins originally hoped to become a Navy parachute rigger but was told too many women were refusing to jump with parachutes packed by women. 

Navy officials instead suggested Harkins work as a yeoman, an administrative role. She pushed back.

"I didn’t want to do that in civilian life. Why would I want to do that in the military?" Harkins said.

Instead, Harkins requested air traffic control. Though she was told she was not qualified, she insisted they give her a chance.

Harkins went on to serve three years as a control tower operator in Brunswick, Maine, where she met her husband.

Challenges for women in the military

Dig deeper:

Harkins said being a woman in the military during that era came with challenges.

"Back then it wasn’t easy being a woman in the service," Harkins said. "The men kind of looked at you in a different light."

Harkins' military experience, like many women veterans of her generation, often went unrecognized compared to those who served during active wars.

Still, Harkins says every story matters. 

"But I loved my job, it was a great job," Harkins said. 

Big picture view:

This Flight of Honor landed on a deeply personal anniversary; 58 years to the day since Harkins' cousin, Danny Meysembourg, was killed in Vietnam.

Meysembourg enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps at just 17 years old, with his parents’ permission. He died one year later.

"There was nothing left of him really to bury," Harkins said. "They sent a coffin and my aunt, she didn’t believe he was in the coffin. She never got over it."

Stopping at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Harkins traced his name from the wall, something Harkins plans to frame in her home.

Harkins described the moment as both painful and meaningful.

"Sad and happy. I was happy to be there. It’s sad that the reason I was there was to see his name on the wall," Harkins said.

Peace and closure

What's next:

Now back home in Lakeland, Harkins says the trip gave her a sense of peace.

"It was wonderful. It was like being liberated," Harkins said.

For her, the journey was never just about honoring her own service, it was about remembering those who never made it home.

LakelandMilitary MayVeteransWashington, D.C.