Special flight allows veterans a day in DC

Nov. 11—Before dawn broke last month at the Purdue University Airport, the group of military veterans who had gathered inside one of the facility's hangars was already buzzing with excitement.

The group was just minutes away from the adventure of a lifetime, and they were feeling it.

According to its website, the Honor Flight Network was nationally created in 2005 with the mission of celebrating America's veterans by allowing them — accompanied each by a guardian — to have an all-expense paid trip to Washington, D.C., to visit the nation's memorials.

Since its inception, over 250,000 military veterans — ranging from World War II to the war in Vietnam — have attended this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, including over 1,800 Hoosier veterans who've left from one of Indiana's four hubs (Fort Wayne, Evansville, Indianapolis and Lafayette).

And on Oct. 11, another 80+ Indiana veterans, including over a dozen from Kokomo, Peru and Logansport, joined that group.

The Tribune was invited along for the ride too, which allowed for a deeper glimpse into the impact this journey truly has on those brave men and women who proudly served this country.

The sendoff

Kokomo resident John Stanley Jr., a communications specialist for the United States Army during the Korean War, had been trying to get on an Honor Flight for years.

The timing was just always off, he admitted.

But this year, accompanied by his son, Stanley Jr. could hardly contain his enthusiasm for what the day would bring.

"This has to be one of the most enjoyable things I've had the opportunity to do," he said. "You couldn't ask for a better bunch of people. To put on something like this, it's great. I appreciate it. My son appreciates it. ... I'm proud that I can go this time, and I'm proud that he can go with me."

A few feet away, Logansport resident and U.S. Navy veteran Jerry Miller was sitting with his own son and waiting for his turn to board the airplane.

"I get a little emotional about it," Miller, who served in the Mekong Delta during the Vietnam War, said. "It's a real honor to be here. Maybe I'm getting back something that I gave a long time ago."

After a few minutes, breakfast was over, and it was time to climb aboard the American Airlines airplane sitting on the runaway just a few feet away.

But before the plane could leave the runaway, some local first responders issued a water cannon salute, much to the delight of those on board.

American Airlines flight attendant Carolyn Rietz said the whole scene gave her goosebumps.

"I have not done one of these (Honor Flights) in many years," she said, "but I haven't slept for weeks because I've been so excited."

Based out of Charlotte, North Carolina, Rietz said she has been a flight attendant for 37 years and comes from a military family.

So these flights are extra special, she added.

"The honor is ours," Rietz said, holding back tears. "This is just the greatest day of my career."

After about an hour in the air, the plane touched down at Reagan National Airport in Washington D.C., and the veterans departed to a standing ovation by passengers who had stopped in the nearby terminal to simply pay their respects.

The group then boarded four separate buses and made their way into the city.

A day in D.C.

The first stop of the day was the World War II memorial, which stands in the shadow of the nearby Washington Monument.

With its peaceful fountains and tribute to those who served and sacrificed their lives during the conflict, the memorial was personal for Kokomo resident and Vietnam War veteran Pat Brown.

Walter Brown III, Pat's father, was in the Navy during WWII, and he's buried at Arlington National Cemetery.

"My dad died when I was 4," Pat said. "Everybody asked me what I thought about the trip (Honor Flight), and I told them two things that I wanted to see was the Vietnam Wall memorial and my dad's grave again because this will probably be the last time I'm here to see it."

Brown did in fact have an opportunity later on that day to privately visit his father's grave.

After boarding the buses again, the veterans continued to weave their way through downtown Washington, D.C. — past such landmarks as the U.S. Capitol Building and White House — toward their next stop, the Lincoln Memorial, Korean War Veterans Memorial and Vietnam Veterans Memorial.

While others in the group ate lunch, Peru resident Larry Snyder solemnly walked over to the Vietnam Wall.

"I haven't been here for about 25 years," he said. "So this is special, especially being here with so many other Vietnam veterans. ... I left my Cub Scout medal at the wall one time because a friend of mine was killed, and we were in Cub Scouts together. There are brothers on the wall. There are fathers and sons on the wall. I personally know about 15. Some were from my unit. Some were from my hometown.

"It's hard to talk about," Snyder continued. "Not all of them you see are killed. The crosses are the ones missing. If the body is found, they turn it into a diamond. You see a lot of both up there. There's a song about that. Freedom isn't free. It's written on the wall."

A few feet from Snyder, Kokomo resident and Vietnam veteran Ron Lee was also slowly walking alongside the wall, pausing every few feet as if to read a name he recognized.

Mike Logan, Lee's guardian and friend, told the Tribune that he didn't even want to ask Lee how many people he knew on the wall, realizing the number would likely be too many.

Kevin Bol is the president of the Honor Flight of Greater Lafayette, and he said it's those quiet moments that choke him up when he goes on the various Honor Flights.

"You see so many of these veterans that have their own demons from how they were treated when they came home or what they saw and did over there," he said. "This is our own way of saying 'Thank you for your service.' It's hopefully a memory of a lifetime. ... And this is just a way for them to know we appreciate them and what they've done for us."

After a couple more stops at memorials for the U.S. Marine Corps and U.S. Air Force, it was time to visit Arlington National Cemetery and watch the changing of the guards at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

Since 1948, "The Old Guard" — soldiers from the 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment — has watched over the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, according to the cemetery's website.

Day and night, a solitary guard walks 21 steps down a black mat behind the Tomb, turns, faces east for 21 seconds, turns and faces north for 21 seconds and then takes 21 steps back down the mat, per officials.

It's symbolic of the highest military honor that can be given, the 21-gun salute.

The homecoming

With the sun beginning to set across the cemetery grounds, the veterans boarded the buses to head back to Reagan National Airport.

And while the men and women were honored throughout their day in Washington, D.C., nothing could have prepared them for what they experienced when they returned to West Lafayette that night.

As the plane touched back at the Purdue University Airport, many on the plane began to look out the windows and laugh.

Some of the veterans even murmured such phrases as "Wow," or "That's amazing."

That's because standing just a few feet away from the runway were hundreds of people, holding signs and cheering loudly for those on board.

It's a welcome home that many of the veterans, especially from the Vietnam era, said just wasn't there when they actually returned home from war.

"People need to be recognized for what they've done for this country," Ed Rethlake, who drove over from Kokomo, said. "And this is just one way to show it. It's amazing the people that showed up tonight."

And as the veterans departed the plane one-by-one and walked toward the crowd of waiting family and friends, many of them couldn't even contain their tears as they saw the scene unfolding in front of them.

"It's special," Brown said, his voice cracking with emotion. "It's ... it's just been really special."