BANGOR, Maine — Since he was a kid, Dan McGovern knew he wanted to be in the navy.
"I was always fascinated by ships and the sea."
Enlisting during his senior year of high school at the height of the Cold War, McGovern helped carry out top-secret missions gathering Soviet Union intel, all while thousands of feet underwater aboard a submarine.
"There's lots of hazardous things that can happen: fire, flooding, collision, explosion. You might be the one person that's in part of the submarine when something happens that could make the difference between saving the ship and losing the ship," McGovern explained.
During his more than 25 years of service, McGovern risked his life alongside his fellow crewmates on six different submarines. Despite the hard times he endured, McGovern says looking at things like his naval service vest now reminds him of the brotherhood he felt amongst submariners and the pride he had in serving his nation.
"So, what we've got here are patches from some of the different submarines I served on, and this pin represents my rank which is Lieutenant Commander," McGovern said while holding the vest.
In his retirement, McGovern now spends his time sharing the importance of military history and remembrance to kids at the Cole Land Transport Museum in Bangor.
"I interview about my time and service, share the things that I went through for training and experienced with them," he said.
To give McGovern a chance to experience some of the nation's most historic military remembrance sites as well as thank him for his bravery during his years of service, Honor Flight Maine recently flew him and more than 50 other veterans out to Washington D.C.
"It's an emotional experience. When we see these memorials, it brings to mind your own service, maybe some personal experiences you've had," he explained while looking back on photos from the trip.
During the two-day trip, McGovern had the chance to visit sites like the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall, the World War II Memorial, and more. All honor the millions of men and women who gave the ultimate sacrifice during service.
"There have been many people who have served our country that have done so to preserve the freedoms that we as Americans get to enjoy today," McGovern said.
While seeing all of the different memorials was amazing, McGovern said the thing that made the trip truly special was being able to share it with fellow veterans.
"Even though I had never met any of these people before you felt that closeness because you know that you've all shared service to your country."
Looking back on his trip, McGovern added that he hopes it's an opportunity every veteran can experience. "It's just such a wonderful way to honor the service that so many have given to our country," McGovern explained.
If you're interested in supporting the Honor Flight Maine program you can visit this link to make a donation to the organization and also look at ways to volunteer.