Vets fly free to national memorials
A dream came true for World War II veteran William Meyer recently, with a free flight to Washington, D.C., to tour the national memorials – including the WWII Memorial honoring the 16 million who served alongside him.
The tour came courtesy of Honor Flight, a national nonprofit offering this service to veterans of WWII, the Korean War and the Vietnam War.
Accompanying Meyer on the trip was his son, Tom Meyer, who owns and operates Galaxy Press and A2Z Printing in Concord. The elder Meyer, 92, purchased the company in 1977 and still helps out at the shop on Galaxy Way.
“The vets out of World War II, and even those out of Korea and Vietnam, often need help physically,” says Tom, “so they arrange for a younger person to be with them at all times and assist in any way needed.”
These guardians pay $1,000 each (tax-deductible) and usually take care of one or two veterans. Tom enjoyed the experience so much he volunteered again last October, helping out a pair of Korean War vets.
On Tom’s second trip, he met a Vietnam vet who wondered all these years what he and other vets had done wrong to deserve having protestors throw bottles at them when they returned. “This trip gave him the feeling for the first time in 50 years that he hadn’t done anything wrong.”
Three days of nonstop activity
The whirlwind tour lasts about three days and goes to many sites, including the WWII, Korean, Vietnam and Lincoln memorials, the Changing of the Guard at Arlington, the American History Museum, the Naval Shipyards, the Iwo Jima Marine Memorial and the Caisson Barn.
“The Lincoln Memorial was a real emotional thing,” William recalls. “Seeing him sitting there, you just have to love him. Such a great man to see him honored that way. My son had never seen it before and to be there with Tom was special.”
They also enjoyed the Caisson Barn, where Old Guard soldiers and horses train and prepare for their duty of carrying a comrade for that last ride to Arlington National Cemetery.
The trip allowed for father-son bonding. “Being with Tom around the clock was special,” says William. “He pushed me all around town. We really got to be intimately acquainted.”
Participants can’t talk about some of the most emotional experiences, since they are surprise features. “The attention, appreciation and recognition for what these veterans did for their country and our freedom we take for granted was on total display,” Tom notes.
While they couldn’t give away more details, both father and son were impressed with the police escort their bus received.
For William, the trip brought a flashback of when Gen. Dwight Eisenhower flew into his airbase. His tour of duty came during the occupation of Germany, where he was stationed at an airbase a short distance from Frankfurt 1946-’47.
“I had an office job as a corporal interpreting Morse Code and a lot of liberty on the base,” William says. “I had a Jeep and ultimately worked with special service ladies who put on the USO shows.”
History of Honor Flight
The inaugural Honor Flight tour took place in May 2005. Six small planes flew out of Springfield, Ohio, taking 12 WWII veterans on a visit to Washington, D.C. Later that year, an ever-expanding waiting list of veterans led to a transition to commercial airline carriers. There are now 132 hubs across the nation, with the goal of accommodating as many veterans as possible.
Honor Flight Bay Area started in 2014 to serve those in the San Francisco Bay Area. Carl J. Stewart, a retired Navy captain with 30 years of service, runs the Bay Area operation. His last tour of duty was in Iraq in 2007.
Stewart flew as a guardian in 2013. After finding there was no hub in the Bay Area, he set one up. “We’ll never be able to repay the recognition due our veterans who have protected the freedoms we enjoy today,” he says. “This is an effort to recognize them for their service and sacrifices.”
Honor Flight Bay Area has flown 19 flights and transported 480 veterans, many of them from the Concord and Clayton area. The group flies regular commercial flights at a discounted rate on Alaska Airlines. Facebook has been a large donor this past year and also made two videos for YouTube about the program.
“This is such a great trip,” Tom says. “So many vets could benefit from this fabulous experience.”
To apply as a veteran, guardian or volunteer, visit www.honorflightbayarea.org.
