Wings for those who served

Manor vets make Honor Flight to DC

By Zoey McGee | Manor Ink

Sullivan County, NY – Being a veteran comes with many self-sacrificing duties, including putting our country first and protecting it and its values. For those reasons, it is very important to thank and honor these people for their time, courage and commitment.

The Hudson Valley Honor Flight organization does this by transporting these heroes to Washington, DC, to visit the national memorials to those who served. In the past decade, 2,500 veterans have been able to go on these celebratory flights.

The Hudson Valley Honor Flight is the local hub of the Honor Flight Network, comprising over 100 independent hubs across America. This organization receives no federal funding and relies entirely upon sponsorships and donations to pay for flights so that veterans can go free of all costs. Mission 32, the most recent flight, cost $130,000, including bus transportation, flight fees and food.

There are generally two flights each spring and one in the fall. Mission 32 took place on Saturday, Apr. 13, with over 80 veterans going, including two vets from Livingston Manor – Hank Schleiermacher and Bob Smith.

Manor veterans join 79 others

Hank Schleiermacher served in Korea during the Vietnam War, and Bob Smith was drafted in 1965 and was discharged in 1967. He also went to Korea, spending about 13 months there.

Smith said his wife convinced him to sign up for the Honor Flight. “My wife kind of pushed me to do it, and some friends said I should do it because it is an awesome experience.”

Sixty of the 81 people who went on the flight were veterans who served during the Vietnam War. The others served in either the Cold War era or during the Korean War. The veterans and their guardians, who aid the vets during their trip, met bright and early at the ShopRite parking lot in Montgomery, NY, on Saturday morning. There, each vet and guardian received T-shirts and breakfast before boarding the four buses that would take them to Stewart International Airport in Newburgh for the flight to Washington, DC.

The buses were escorted by several first-responder vehicles and over 100 motorcycles from the Rolling Thunder organization. “From the very beginning, the procession to the airport was very touching,” said Smith

When they arrived at Stewart Airport, they were greeted with a hero’s welcome by hundreds of supporters, friends, family, flight attendants, law enforcement and military, waving flags and cheering while playing thunderous patriotic music to show their appreciation.

“I was overwhelmed. I never expected all the crowds at the airports,” said Schleiermacher.

More crowds also welcomed them when the plane landed at Ronald Reagan International Airport in Washington, DC. An enthusiastic reception also greeted them when they returned to Stewart Airport that night. Some of the veterans said they had been waiting their whole lives to be welcomed home.

A moving, meaningful experience

At Stewart, before the send-off, there was a very heartwarming ceremony honoring each of the heroes for their service. There were 41 soldiers from the US Army, 18 sailors from the Navy, 16 airmen from the Air Force, and six Marines. Two more vets who signed up for the flight unfortunately passed away before getting to go on it, but they were honored during the ceremony as well. “The ceremony. The welcome. It was very, very emotional,” said Smith.

Once in DC, the veterans visited several memorials, including the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall, the Korean War Memorial, the National World War II Memorial and the Lincoln Memorial. “At the Vietnam Wall, I saw people making rubbings of their loved one’s names,” said Schleiermacher. “It was very moving.”

They also experienced the changing-of-the-guard ceremony at the Arlington National Cemetery. Bob Smith said this was one of his favorite parts of the trip. “It was very emotional, but very nice,” he commented. Smith said his other favorite part was meeting all the other vets. “We are all in it together,” he said.

Both Livingston Manor veterans were extremely grateful for the opportunity to go on the Honor Flight and commended the volunteers who made it happen. Smith added, “It was certainly worth it, and absolutely awesome. It was quite the honor.”