Thousands Welcome WWII Vets Home From 'Honor Flight'
(May 23, 2011) |
|
|
| MARINE CORPS AIR STATION CHERRY POINT, N.C. (MCN - May 4,
2011) — World War II veterans came home to heroic,
street-lined welcomes in 1945, having left many of their
fallen brothers behind on the battlefields of Europe and the
Pacific. |
World War II veteran Clay Cofield feeds off the energy of the crowd applauding him and 107 of his fellow WWII veterans at the Coastal Carolina Regional Airport in New Bern May 4,
2011. The non-profit organization Honor Flight Southeastern North Carolina flew the veterans to visit the WWII Memorial in Washington, D.C. |
|
Never forgetting, 108 Eastern North Carolina WWII
veterans were flown to our nation's capital May 4 to
commemorate the memorial that honors them and their
fallen comrades. The trip was sponsored by the
non-profit organization Honor Flight Southeastern
North Carolina.
“These guys don't live
forever, and they're fading away quickly,” explained
retired Maj. Gen. Tom Braaten, director of the
Coastal Carolina Regional Airport in New Bern and
main organizer of the flight and former commander of
Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point. “We're trying
to give as many of them as we can a chance to go up
and see the memorial, which they earned.”
The
veterans, mostly in their 80s, took an early morning
chartered flight out of New Bern, many of which
donned attire from |
|
their respective branches of service during the day
trip. |
|
“Most of us were strangers to each other before
today,” explained veteran Paul Banks, who resides in New
Bern. “But we've always shared the same background.”
The men made their first stop in Washington, D.C., at
the World War II memorial. They saw the pillar, arch and
foundation formed plaza that serves as a reminder of what
they fought for more than 65 years ago.
“It was very
moving and emotional,” said veteran Larry Ford, resident of
New Bern.
The men also saw many of the other war
memorials in the Washington, D.C., area during their trip,
which Braaten said was funded by donations and organized by
volunteers.
After the day of homage, the veterans
embarked on their flight back to New Bern. They were
welcomed with a homecoming reception by thousands of
flag-waving supporters from the local community who wanted
nothing more than to remind the 108 men that their service
has not been and never will be forgotten.
“I'm so
overwhelmed right now,” said veteran Terrence Walker. “I'm
at a loss for words.”
Though the veterans may have
been in a temporary shock of awe and speechlessness, the
crowd had plenty of good things to say about the WWII
heroes.
“This is a real patriotic part of the
country,” said Braaten. “The community understands why we
enjoy the freedoms we have today, and the WWII veterans are
a huge part of that.”
Meshed with the thousands of
supporters were several Marines from Marine Corps Air
Station Cherry Point to help partake in the rock-star-like
reception. The Marines helped escort the veterans from the
airplane through the mass of the “USA, USA” chanting
flag-waving patriots spilling out the front door of the
airport.
“These guys led the way and made things so
much better for us,” explained Sgt. Shayne T. Bunn, an
I-Level avionics instructor at the Center for Naval Aviation
Technical Training Marine Unit Cherry Point. “Even though
tonight is something as simple as helping them down the
steps, it's amazing to see our history before us.”
Braaten believed it was a special connection, saying “These
Marines were able to get up close and personal with the
veterans, consider what they've gone through and chat with
them. They're living history.”
Cpl. Randall L.
Hartsell, a military policeman with the Cherry Point Provost
Marshal Office, said the moment was tough to fathom,
thinking about what most of the men saw and probably went
through.
“You think of movies like, ‘Saving Private
Ryan,' said Hartsell. “A lot of these guys were there and
experienced that first hand.”
The consensus from the
roaring crowd showed that the 108 veterans are continuing to
uphold their reputation as the nation's greatest generation
and are still adored as much today as they were when they
came home many years ago.
“These guys are our
history,” Bunn stated. “They're what we read about and are
what inspired some of us to join the military. It was an
honor to be in their presence.” |
Article and photo by USMC Cpl. Tyler J. Bolken
Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point
Copyright 2011 | |
Reprinted from
Marine Corps News
Comment on this article |
|
