Honored at last: Honor Flight Tallahassee pays tribute to veterans through special trip

Veterans who survived the Korean and Vietnam Wars often felt two things — forgotten and scorned.

But Saturday night, decades after their return, Korea veterans' feeling that they had served in the shadows and Vietnam veterans' recollections of shame melted away as dozens of them stepped off a plane in Tallahassee to be remembered and honored in a way they'll never forget.

Nearly 300 people lined the opening of a hangar at the Tallahassee Airport to welcome home 76 veterans who embarked on Honor Flight Tallahassee's 10th annual flight to Washington, D.C. The local branch of the nationwide organization has made it its mission to bring every veteran to see the monuments that were built as a tribute to them and their fallen peers.

"That was great!" Wayne Langston, a Vietnam War veteran who served in the Air Force, said with the brightest smile after completing the 17-hour trip.

The long, rainy, whirlwind of a day was filled with smiles, tears and salutes, emphasizing that even 76 different men and women with 76 different stories share one thing — a pride and love for their country that only those who served would understand.

'I'm just amazed'

All travelers had to report to the standalone hangar at 5 a.m., but many veterans fueled by excitement arrived well before then.

Countdowns — much like the ones they looked to while fighting in Vietnam — were kept until the big day. And the first impression did not disappoint.

"I'm just amazed by what they've done here," Dave Stewart, a Vietnam War veteran, said over breakfast.

An hour later, veterans queued up and boarded the plane, which buzzed with palpable anticipation as veterans and guardians chatted away about their excitement for the trip.

Roughly two hours later, the private flight landed, and veterans were greeted by their first surprise of the day. Students from the Naval Academy and other volunteers lined the airport gate exit, equipped with signs, flags and encouraging words as veterans filed out one by one.

The kind gesture invoked tears for some, marking the first of many that would be shed throughout the day.

First stop: World War II Memorial

For Joseph Williams, the only World War II veteran on the trip, Saturday was a day of firsts.

Before the trip, the 104-year-old had never seen the memorial dedicated to the war he fought in nor flown in a plane.

Williams served in the Philippines in the Navy from 1944 to 1946 after being drafted from Florida. He said he "would've rather stayed home."

The memorial, which he was most excited to see, stirred up old memories, specifically of the times he saw Japanese pilots purposefully crash their planes.

"I thought this would be a very good opportunity to see our pretty country and see things I've never seen before," he said.

Second stop: Korean War, Vietnam War and Lincoln Memorials

The second stop of the trip was the most anticipated, as the majority of the men and women served in these wars and hoped to find names of lost loved ones etched in the walls of the Korean and Vietnam War Memorials.

"That's amazing," Sal Martocci, an 88-year-old Korean War veteran who served in the Navy, said as he stared at the statues of soldiers at the Korean War memorial. "It's almost eerie."

For decades after he served in the Army in Vietnam, Lee Skornia, 78, never spoke a word of his time in the war.

He was tortured for years by night terrors that replayed memories of exploding landmines and deadly enemy fire. But as he stood in front of the wall that bore the names of his fallen peers, he reflected on just how lucky he was and how he has God to thank.

Skornia remembers sitting on top of an armored personnel carrier with six other soldiers when it blew up.

"Just before the whole incident occurred, I heard a message," Skornia said. "All of a sudden this voice said. 'Get ready.'"

Skornia knew it was a miracle from God he survived.

And as further proof, he said the blast that threw him 30 feet away and killed several others left the Bible that his mother gave him completely unharmed.

Third stop: Iwo Jima, the U.S. Marine Corps War Memorial

Mel Topicz, Lynette Haber and Ritaann Schultz all served in the Navy during the Vietnam era, and together they spent the day representing women who served in the war who went even more unrecognized for their service than the men.

The three shared their stories in the drizzling rain next to Iwo Jima, the U.S. Marine Corps War Memorial.

"It's great because we can represent other female veterans," Topicz said. "It doesn't really matter what branch of service, we all served."

Because women weren't allowed to serve on the front lines beyond being a nurse, Topicz and Haber both took care of enlisted records and Schultz was an aviation boatswains mate handler, which was a very dangerous job directing aircrafts as they launched and landed.

Haber said the trip was a delight not only because of the people thanking them for their service, but because other tourists visiting the memorials are "obviously benefits of veterans."

"I was pretty much choking back tears at the Vietnamese memorial when an Asian gentleman said, 'thank you,'" Haber said. "And I said, 'I bet your story is tougher than mine.'"

Fourth stop: Arlington National Cemetery and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier

A deafening silence hung in the air at the Arlington National Cemetery.

Looking over a sea of headstones, veterans quietly paid their respects to all the men and women who went before them.

Just before 4 p.m., veterans and their guardians lined up around the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, preparing to watch the changing of the guard, a ceremony that occurs every 30 minutes.

The sentinels, those selected to guard the tomb, scuffed their heels against the ground as they paced — a silent acknowledgement for the veterans watching them.

Fifth stop: Air Force Memorial

Veterans unloaded from the bus one last time to crane their necks up at the sky to see the three spires of the Air Force Memorial tower over them.

A sense of accomplishment and joy washed over the veterans who made it out to the final stop.

"It's been fantastic and a real reward," Jim Rector, a 76-year-old Vietnam War veteran who served in the Air Force, said of the trip as he stood under the looming spires. "I have never had so many thank you's and welcome home's than I have this whole time."

The first thing Rector said he did when he arrived back in California from the war was ditch his uniform and find some "civies," or civilian clothes, to hide the fact he fought.

The camaraderie and "being with fellow brothers and sisters" who served was an incomparable experience, he said.

'Welcome home'

Although they were tired and ready to start the trip home, the exhaustion couldn't mask the joyful glow each veteran shared.

Fulfillment and gratitude were written on every one of their faces.

The plane hummed as veterans and guardians softly shared stories about their experience from the day. But about halfway through the return flight, everyone was interrupted: "Mail call, mail call, mail call," Mac Kemp, one of the trip organizers, said over the flight intercom.

Just like in the military, Kemp called out each veteran's name and passed out large envelopes stuffed to the brim with letters from friends, family and community members — the first surprise of the trip back home.

Some received old photographs from their time in the war, one even received a letter his wife wrote to him in the 1960s.

Schultz said she cried when see realized the handwriting of one of the letters she was reading was her son's.

"My son doesn't do that kind of stuff," Schultz said. "He's 33, he hasn't written me a letter I don't think since he was a child."

And the thoughtful surprises didn't end there.

Realizing that most of the veterans on the trip never saw any parades or praise when they arrived home, Honor Flight coordinators spared nothing on the fanfare that awaited the veterans.

Family members, friends and community packed the hangar waiting to embrace their veterans with open arms, proving a welcome home is better late than never.

Breaking & trending news reporter Elena Barrera can be reached at ebarrera@tallahassee.com . Follow her on X: @elenabarreraaa .

This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Honored at last: Honor Flight Tallahassee pays tribute to veterans through special trip