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Honor Air flight a tribute to WWII heroes

Five O'Clock Shadow

By Charles Deal | Special to the Record

Published: October 11, 2009

When the Doughboys returned from the "The War to End All Wars," a special welcome was arranged in downtown Hickory.

World War I vets were able to march through the pride of Paris, the Arc De Triomphe, in a smaller scale alongside the railroad tracks.

Townspeople turned out to cheer the heroic veterans who survived trench warfare and daunting odds.

Today, several thousand World War II veterans are able to visit a thank-you that was nearly 60 years in transforming from dream to reality, the World War II Memorial on the National Mall in Washington, D.C.

Clearly, this is not a war memorial, it's a memorial to those who fought the war.

Several thousand of the veterans, referred to as the Greatest Generation, have been able to make a one-day, all-expenses-paid trip to visit the memorial. A program known as Honor Air is funded by Rotary Clubs in the foothills and mountains of North Carolina.

It all started with the Rotary Club of Asheville when 101 WW II veterans were flown to Washington on USAir for dedication of the monument by Sen. Bob Dole. The veterans were accompanied by 33 club members who served as "guardians," responsible for the care and comfort of the vets at a cost of $500 per person.

Some required wheelchair help and help in getting aboard the plane and off and on tour buses.

It's a ritual for the plane to be doused with water cannon salutes after landing in Washington and return landing at Asheville.

Two vans, loaded with Catawba County veterans and guardians, had a police escort with blazing red and blue lights, to the county line on Oct. 3. At each major intersection along the way was a Hickory police officer, standing at attention in a show of respect.

The first big surprise was just inside the Ronald Reagan terminal, where some 300 or more people yelled "Thanks" or "Our heroes." Handshakes and hugs were rampant. Patriotic souvenirs were handed out. Police officers and U.S. soldiers saluted.

The spirited turnout resulted in many wet-eyed veterans.

Some of the vets may have had thoughts of friends who died in combat and the many who didn't live long enough to visit the memorial, or the some 1,500 WW II veterans who die daily.

The World War II Memorial may not have happened had actor Tom Hanks, writer Stephen Ambrose and Bob Dole not raised the early funds and urged Congress to approve appropriations. The memorial is a salute to the 16 million who served in the armed forces and the 400,000 who died.

The mammoth memorial covers all wartime zones of the world war and each U.S. state, the source of wartime manpower.

Greeting the veterans were former U.S. Sens. Bob and Elizabeth Dole, answering questions and posing with vets for photos.

Other memorials on the tour included visits to the Korean campaign, also known as the "Forgotten War," the Vietnam Wall, Lincoln Memorial and the Iwo Jima Memorial.

The final bus tour stop is at Arlington National Cemetery for the changing of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknowns.

"Mail call" on the return trip to Asheville were letters from school children, including many first-graders: "Dear Veteran, I love you," one wrote, "Thank you for all of your hard work. We are proud of you."

Bin, an older student, wrote, "So many of our veterans are 'humble heroes' and do not consider themselves a hero. You did your duty with great honor and distinction. You are a hero to me."

More than 200 people of all ages surprised the veterans with a rousing welcome at the Asheville airport terminal.

Amid signs and balloons, gifts were distributed to each of the 100 veterans, a colorful book on the WW II Memorial and a frame for a special picture taken on the memorable trip.

The World War II veterans said goodbyes by shaking hands or embracing new friends and their guardians, their heads filled with enough memories for a lifetime.

Charles Deal is a former newspaper editor and publisher. Reach him at chazdeal@aol.com.