Veterans, guardians and this reporter gearing up for Honor Flight Kern County trip
Apr. 15—It's been more than a decade since this reporter boarded an airliner full of World War II veterans to chronicle their three-day journey to Washington, D.C. as part of the first Honor Flight Kern County.
Eleven years after that maiden flight in 2012, I'm going again. The plane leaves Tuesday morning, this time filled with Vietnam veterans and those who served during the Cold War.
On Saturday morning, veterans and the volunteer guardians who watch over them met with Honor Flight organizers in a big event room at Valley Baptist Church to get oriented and prepared for what could be the trip of a lifetime for many of them.
U.S. Army veteran and tour leader Glenn Nakashima told the crowd that Honor Flight is an all-volunteer organization.
"Not one single person in Honor Flight Kern County gets paid," Nakashima said.
Only the veterans go for free.
"This is my 18th flight. I have paid every time I have gone," he said to a loud round of applause.
Safety is the No. 1 priority on these trips to the nation's capital, and Nakashima laid out a number of protocols and procedures to ensure that nothing goes wrong.
Part good-natured shepherd and part no-nonsense drill sergeant, Nakashima isn't shy about letting everyone involved know what he expects of them, from early Tuesday morning to late Thursday evening.
"We always talk about safety on this trip," he said. "We always say we're one broken ankle away from never having another one."
Roll calls are regular, breakfast is at 6 a.m. and lots of walking (or riding in wheelchairs) is on the agenda.
It can be vigorous and taxing, as the tour is filled with places to go and things to do and see. The World War II Memorial, the Korean, Vietnam, Lincoln, Air Force, Navy, Marine, and FDR memorials are just some of the destinations listed as possibilities.
No one at Saturday's gathering appeared reluctant. On the contrary, the anticipation was growing.
"What a turnaround it has become after returning from my Vietnam experience to nothing positive," said U.S. Army veteran Mike Mastagni, 79.
"I had to really fight my way back into normalcy ... and here I am, going on an Honor Flight. It just moves me beyond words."
Mastagni is a story all by himself, but so are most of the veterans who served in peacetime and in war.
In 2012, when the vets landed in Baltimore and entered the terminal on that first afternoon, they were greeted with a warm reception from about 100 people. Travelers formed lines on either side of the aging veterans, smiling and applauding as they passed by in gratitude and amazement.
U.S. Navy Vietnam veteran Frank Marler, 87, who served "in-country" as part of an Army-Navy joint command operation, said his expectations for this trip to Washington, D.C. with Honor Flight Kern County are "unlimited."
"I'm just so excited about it. I've been waiting a few years for it," he said.
"Hopefully the trip — and I'm especially looking forward to the coming home," he said, "might buffer some of the old memories of coming home last time."
Reporter Steven Mayer can be reached at 661-395-7353. Follow him on Facebook and on Twitter: @semayerTBC
