My Special Visit to Washington to World War II Memorial

October 8, 2008, by Honor Air Flight sponsored by Roswell, GA Rotary Club

Early in the Year 2005, one year after the World War II Memorial was opened on the Mall in Washington, DC, a Pilot and Physician's Assistant in Springfield, Ohio, Earl Morse, suddenly realized that there are many World War II Veterans who might not ever see the World War II Memorial. These Veterans are in their later years of life and are passing away at a rapid rate, with many who cannot physically make the trip to Washington because of health or financial circumstances. Earl Morse had the idea of developing an Honor Air Flight project in communities around the USA to choose and fly on private and charter planes, with personal escorts (guardians) for WW II Veterans, to visit the World War II Memorial in Washington, DC.

As a Veteran of World War II, having served in the 15^th Air Force in Italy, of the Army Air Corps, as a Radio Operator on the 10 person crew of a B-24 heavy bomber, doing 31 combat bombing missions into all parts of Europe, I made application for such a trip. I was honored to be selected as one of 80 Veterans chosen by the Roswell, GA, Rotary Club, to go on their sponsored Honor Air Flight on October 8, 2008, to the WWII Memorial in Washington, DC.

I was notified by mail by the Roswell Rotary Club, and confirmed by a telephone call from my "Guardian", Susan Manfredi, who introduced herself most pleasantly, as my Guardian/Escort, and gave me instructions to attend an Orientation Luncheon in Roswell on October 2, 2008. Clark Laseter, my good friend and fellow member of North Decatur Presbyterian Church, who was chosen, also, and I drove together to Roswell for the orientation luncheon, which was a regular meeting of the Roswell Rotary Club. We met our Escorts, sat at round luncheon tables with our Escorts and partner, and other Veterans and Escorts. We were given papers with instructions for our trip. They gave us Polo golf shirts of either red, white or blue in color. I had a white one. This divided us into Red, White and Blue Groups for staying together on buses and in our other means of getting around. I had a white shirt, so I rode on the white bus to the airport and other places. The others did likewise according to the color of their shirts. Clark and I were both in the White Group, but we each were paired with a different partner and with different Guardians.

We had lunch with the Roswell Rotary Club, had our pictures taken for ID purposes, and were given numerous instructions, including the taking of a 3 day supply of our prescription medications in case we were weathered in. My Escort told me she would wear a back pack and that she would take my medications in her back pack along with anything else I needed to take. She said she would have a digital camera and would take any and all pictures I wanted and that I should not feel the need to take a camera. I accepted that readily and did not take my camera. She is providing me with several CDs with all of the pictures she took of me and others. She, also, said she would have water, snacks and goodies in her back pack for me and her other Veteran. Each Escort had two Veterans. The one paired with me was a delightful man named Charlie Fulford of Sandy Springs, GA, who was a Navy Career Officer who served in the Pacific area during WWII. He stayed in service after the War until retirement. We all got along so well with each other. Pictures were made of each of us and copies made of our driver's license for ID purposes. Our Escort carried these with her to have in case we got lost. In addition to our Escorts, there was a host of others going along to be of help and assistance in any way possible. There was a complete medical team of doctors, nurses, and Emergency Medical Technicians with all kinds of emergency medical equipment and supplies. There was a professional photographer and video professional, persons who ran the logistical tasks of transportation, airport security, timing of visits and stops, etc., persons who handled food service, and others along for assistance in case of any emergency. We felt so secure, safe and cared for. It was unbelievable!

A week later, on October 8, 2008, Clark and I met at his house at 4:45AM, and drove in the rain to Roswell to meet with our group for departure for the Atlanta Airport by bus at 6:30AM. Our Escorts had called us the day before as a reminder to see if we were OK for making the trip and to review with us special instructions about things such as medications, etc. A big room in a Recreation Center in Roswell is where we met, and were served coffee, juice and muffins. We waited. . . and waited until, finally, we learned a new bus company had been engaged for this trip, and they had misunderstood the departure time. They did finally arrive, but it had put our schedule back by an hour and a half.

We got onto our red, white and blue buses respectively, in the rain, with umbrellas provided by our Escorts, and were escorted by a covey of Roswell motorcycle police all the way down GA-400 and I-85 to the Atlanta Airport, and delivered right on the tarmac beside our chartered U.S. Airways Jet. We went inside the building on the ground level and were put through a special Security unit that expedited this process. My Escort stooped down and unlaced my shoes to take them off, then on the other side of Security she had my shoes, put them on my feet, laced them up and doubled tied them. Because of my implanted defibrillator, I had to go through a special assistance "pat down" security lane, so my Escort and I had to meet on the other side where she had my possessions and hers. What a wonderful Escort she was!

We, then, boarded our special Jetliner with assigned seats. We sat on Row 20 on the right side of the cabin, with Charlie by the window, Susan in the middle, and I on the aisle (Always my preferred seat anyway!)

As our plane taxied from the gate out to the runway, I looked out the window to the right. There was one of these tractors pulling a baggage cart behind it all draped with red, white and blue bunting and a huge American flag flapping, running alongside of us. Then, we came to where there were two big fire trucks, one on each side, shooting streams of water over us in an arch under which we taxied just before getting to the runway for takeoff. Guess what I was doing. . . . sobbing!!!

The flight was nice with another coffee, juice and muffin breakfast. I did get a nod of sleep on the way to Washington. We arrived at the Washington (Reagan) Airport, and had a wonderful welcome as we taxied from the runway to our arrival gate, with two huge fire trucks on either side of us with their respective ladders raised up at angles forming an arch under which our Jet taxied and then fire hoses spraying arches of water over us as we taxied under. Wow!

We pulled up to the gate and got off the plane and went through the exit "tunnel" which was decorated with bunting, flags and drapes of red, white and blue. Then, we came out into the waiting room where there were hordes of people, old, young, military, business dressed people, casual dressed people, all races, nationalities, and others crowded around our exit area, with a small opening for us to pass through, loudly clapping, yelling "Welcome", "Thanks for your service", "We love you", We appreciate you", shaking our hands, hugging and kissing us! There was not a Veteran who passed through that crowd and to the other side that had a dry eye. The other side was at the end of, not only that waiting room area, but all the way along the concourse, to the escalators and down to the lobby, and out to the curb, where we boarded our red, white and blue buses, with people still waving and calling out to us. Each of our buses had a professional tour guide who told us what to look for at the WWII Memorial, and called attention to special sites we passed along the way there. We were whisked off with a special Washington Motorcycle Police Escort to the World War II Memorial on the Mall! My, what an experience!

When our buses arrived at the Mall and pulled up to the curb to park, we looked out and saw big crowds of people gathering to welcome us, waving small U.S.flags, calling out greetings of "Welcome", "Thanks for your service", and "We love you!". It was overwhelming! We departed our buses and walked through the crowds to a tent on the edge of the Mall. There, we were welcomed by persons with gourmet box lunches and beverages, taking us to tables and chairs and serving us. All the time we were eating, persons were walking up and down checking on us to see if we were OK, if the food was all right, if we wanted another menu, or if we needed anything else. The food tasted great and the experience there was marvelous.

After we had finished eating, our Escort took us to the World War II Memorial which was just near the tent where we ate. She explained it to us as we were about to enter, then asked if we had any special parts of it we wanted to see. I told her that I wanted to see the Atlantic Ocean side of it and the European Theatre of Operations, because I had served overseas in those areas. I, also, wanted to see, again, recognitions of the U.S. Army Air Corps, and to see the inscription of the words of President Franklin D. Roosevelt which he spoke to the Congress and the Nation the morning after the Japanese attack on our Naval Forces in Pearl Harbor. I had heard that speech over the radio in the library of Covington High School on the morning of December 08, 1941, in my senior year of high school. In July, 1943, I was sworn in to the U.S. Army Air Corps, and in October, 1944, I was in Italy as Radio Operator on a B-24 Heavy Bomber Crew flying combat bombing missions over many parts Europe..

It was such an emotional experience being at the World War II Memorial. There were 9 groups of WWII Veterans from across the United States there on this day when we 80 Veterans from Atlanta arrived. They were, also, there because of the Honor Air Project of some organization. The Memorial area was filled with Veterans and their Escorts. How deeply touched I was to see Veterans in wheelchairs, on crutches and walkers (the luggage compartments of our plane and of the buses were filled with wheelchairs for the use of any of us who needed them or who got tired), and being held onto by persons who could have been Escorts, relatives or friends, from various parts of the USA. I felt so blessed to be able to walk and move about on my own. I even left my Escort behind in my eagerness to see the next thing I wanted to view. You could see in the faces of so many of the Veterans their deep concentration on what they were seeing and the memories this was bringing back to them. Most of them had tears streaming down their cheeks, and I was one of them!

After this very moving experience at the WWII Memorial, we boarded our red, white and blue buses and moved on to Arlington Cemetery to the Grave of the Unknown Soldier. We arrived in time to witness the Changing of the Guard Ceremony which takes place every half hour 24 hours each day. This is, indeed, a most impressive ceremony. Everything is done with such precision and efficiency by the soldiers. The crowd is solemn and silent, being very respectful of the surroundings and the ceremony. The only sounds were from the almost whispered commands of the commanding officer as he went through the routine of relieving the lone guard of the tomb, and the tapping of the soldiers' heels as they walked and snapped to a turn or halt, and putting in place a new guard to take over for the next half hour. This was the concluding public ceremony of the day, 5:00PM, so we were asked to depart from the Cemetery grounds as soon as the ceremony was completed. Of course the ceremonies continue every half hour around the clock day and night, even when the Cemetery is closed.

So, we moved back to our buses, pausing on the steps for one big group picture. The Washington Police in a motorcycle escort led us out of the Cemetery Grounds and on to the airport for our flight home. We boarded our plane after going through a security check and settled into our same assigned seats, I on the aisle, Susan in the middle and Charlie by the window. Food and beverages were served us as soon as we were airborne, and it tasted great. Everybody was tired but very few of us slept. My partner, our Escort and I talked a blue streak all the way home, and we were landing before we knew it, safely back in Atlanta. We boarded our buses and drove back to Roswell Recreation Center without a police escort this time, arriving there about 11:30PM. Clark and I got into his car and drove to his house where my car was parked. I told Clark goodnight and drove on home to Silvapine Trail, arriving about 20 minutes after midnight. Needless to say, I slept well that night after one of the most moving, inspiring experiences related to my military service that I have had since my discharge from the Army Air Corps in San Antonio, TX, in October, 1945.

I am so grateful to the Roswell, GA Rotary Club, to Susan Manfredi (my Escort), and to all others who made this marvelous trip so special for me and the other Veterans of World War II. God has truly blessed me, and I am most grateful

Frank Burton Vardeman, Jr. (F. Burt) October 08, 2008

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