|
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- As the brass band
played and American flags fluttered in the breeze, World War
II veterans received a hero's welcome on Saturday as they
visited the memorial for the war in which they fought in
seven decades ago.
A column of well-wishers waved
flags. Some were dressed in red, white, and blue. Members of
the military were also on hand to greet the veterans of the
"Greatest Generation," on April 5, 2014 at the World War II
Memorial.
|
World War II veterans and their military
escorts render honors as TAPS is played, at the World War II
Memorial in Washington D.C., April 4, 2014. The veterans traveled to
the nation's capital on an Honor Flight from Dallas-Fort Worth for a
two-day tour of D.C. (Army News Service photo by Lisa Ferdinando)
|
For many of the veterans arriving on "honor
flights" this breezy, sunny morning, it was their first
visit to their memorial. U.S. Army Air Corps veteran Dick
Tobin was among those in attendance.
"I'm having a
wonderful day," said Tobin, who traveled with an honor
flight from Syracuse, N.Y. He was accompanied by his
daughter, Cheryl Tobin, an Air Force and Navy veteran.
The Honor Flight Network brings veterans to Washington
free of charge for them to see the memorials for the wars
they fought in decades ago, with priority given to the most
senior and terminally ill veterans.
Veterans and
their escorts said they were touched by the outpouring of
support from members of the public and the military. It was
an emotional experience as well to finally visit the
memorial, they said.
"I never in a million years
expected this. It's wonderful," Ms. Tobin said. "There are
no words to describe this. It's just wonderful and long
overdue."
As the veterans made their way around the
memorial, they were greeted with handshakes and expressions
of gratitude. "Thank you for your service," and "Can I take
a photo with you?" were phrases often heard.
Surrounded by a contingent of family members, Army veteran
Hugh Phelps held a decades-old picture of his brother
Patrick, an Army veteran, on his lap atop a folded American
flag.
"I was in the last part of the war with
Patrick," said Phelps, who was in the 26th Infantry
Division. He arrived at the memorial as part of a tour
sponsored by Honor Flight Capital Region, which serves
veterans in the Washington, D.C. area.
It's a "very
good" and "wonderful day," said Phelps, as his family
members smiled proudly and snapped photographs of their war
hero.
Navy Chief Warrant Officer Andrew Levy and two
members of his detachment -- Petty Officers Jordan
Holtschulte and Brian MacMurchy -- drove three hours from
Fort Pickett in Blackstone, Va., to greet the veterans.
"It's our way to pay respects to them. They led the way
and enabled us to be who we are and what we can do today,"
Levy said.
Driving a few hours to Washington to greet
the veterans is the very least they could do for the service
members who did so much for the nation, said Holtschulte.
Holtschulte had volunteered at an honor flight greeting
in Chicago at O'Hare airport and organized the trip for his
shipmates.
"I just thought it would be a great way to
spend a Saturday," he said.
Crowds were on hand to
cheer and greet the World War II veterans arriving on honor
flights from Ohio and upstate New York, and an honor flight
bus tour out of the National Capital Region.
Navy
WAVES veteran Eileen Howell from, Columbus, Ohio, said she
was having a wonderful day visiting the memorial. She served
in the Navy from 1944 to 1946.
"It's far beyond what
I ever expected," she said. "It was wonderful. I have never
been greeted so much in my life. I couldn't believe it. It
was just unimaginable."
Air Force Honor Guard members
Airman 1st Class Rebecca Eiseman and Airman 1st Class Ashley
Rash were happy to come out and greet the veterans.
"We volunteered last fall and we want to volunteer all
summer, so we just come here to shake their hands and say
thank you for everything they did," said Eiseman. "If it
wasn't for them, we wouldn't be here, so they paved the way
for us."
Sixteen members of the Prime Time Brass band
drove seven hours from upstate New York to be in Washington
to welcome their local veterans.
"It's a great day,
they seemed ecstatic that we were here and we're just happy
to be here to honor them," said band member Bill McGrath,
who served three years in the Marine Corps and 17 years in
the Army Reserve.
An honor flight from Dallas-Fort
Worth visited the memorial on Friday.
"It's nice to
see the memorial ... very nice and beautiful," said WAVES
veteran Janet Thompkins on Friday, as she and her honor
flight escort, her son-in-law, visited.
Army Lt. Col.
Darryl Stephens, who is stationed at the Pentagon,
volunteered to accompany the veterans to see the memorial
and other important sites.
The veterans are amazing
inspirations, he said.
"As a service member, as a
Soldier, I respect these guys, words can't describe it,"
said Stephens. "When I read and listen to their stories, it
just humbles me."
Army veteran Bob Martin, who served
in the South Pacific, said visiting the memorial for the
first time was an emotional experience.
"I almost
cried several times. All the people that gathered down here
just to shake our hands and to thank us for what we've
done," he said.
Martin was accompanied by his son,
Glenn Martin, who shared his war hero father's sentiments.
"My eyes haven't been dry since we got off the airplane
pretty much," said the younger Martin. "It's quite the
emotional experience."
Glenn Martin said he has
immense gratitude for his father's generation and all they
did to keep the nation free. "Unbelievable," he said. He was
so glad to share the moment with his father and the other
veterans, he said. The memorial, which was dedicated in 2004
nearly six decades after the end of war, is beautiful and
spectacular, he added.
More photos available below
By U.S. Army Lisa Ferdinando
Provided
through DVIDS
Copyright 2014
Comment on this article
|
