The Sunday afternoon scene at San Diego International Airport was one of immense pride and patriotism as hundreds of supporters cheered on 92 veterans returning from Washington, D.C.
As the veterans came down the Terminal 2 escalator after three days visiting memorials and doing other sightseeing, family and friends cheered them on with “welcome home” signs, red-and-blue balloons and American flags of every size.
They were part of a twice-a-year excursion to the nation’s capital that nonprofit Honor Flight San Diego arranges to honor local veterans and give them a chance to travel together on a chartered flight. The program is open to any veteran who served in a branch of the U.S. military during WWII, the Korean War or the Vietnam War or veterans who are terminally ill.
“I really, really enjoyed it — we really got to see a lot,” said Ernie Skillern, a retired Air Force master sergeant who lives in Menifee.
Skillern, 88, said he hadn’t been to D.C. in more than 50 years. He said his favorite site was the Washington Monument, reminiscing that he was able to climb to the top five decades ago but could only admire it from ground level this trip.
Vo Clark, 82, said the three-day trip was a remarkable and memorable experience.
“It was absolutely fascinating and humbling and it was emotional for most of us,” said Clark, a retired member of the U.S. Army now living in Eastlake.
Clark said he’s glad he overcame some last-minute reluctance to go on the trip.
“I was looking forward to it at first, but as it drew nearer I said to myself ‘Do I really want to do this?’ ” he said.
Clyde Hamilton, 94, said the best part of the whole experience was the letters of support he got from his grandchildren and great-grandchildren. He said spending three days with so many other veterans was “like being with family” and that he couldn’t pick a favorite memorial in D.C.
“I enjoyed it all,” said Hamilton, a retired U.S. Navy commander living in Bonita. “The feelings behind each of them impressed me.”
Scott Perry, 89, said he was pleasantly surprised how well the veterans got along when almost none of them knew any of the others before the trip.
“It might have been a little bit strange, but we welded in together,” said Perry, noting that all the veterans seemed to make a conscious choice to avoid discussing their combat experiences.
A retired first sergeant in the U.S. Marine Corps who lives in San Marcos, Perry said his two favorite memorials in D.C. were ones devoted to World War II and the Marine Corps.
Steve Saulnier, 81, said he was impressed by Honor Flight San Diego, which has arranged such trips since 2010, and surprised more people don’t know about it.
“I didn’t understand what a big operation it is,” said Saulnier, a retired member of the U.S. Navy who lives in Coronado.
His wife, Lucy Saulnier, said she plans to make sure more people become aware of Honor Flight, which has additional branches in other parts of the country.
She said Sunday’s loud and enthusiastic welcome was particularly important because many of the veterans on the trip served in Vietnam.
“Lots of people from the Vietnam War didn’t get a welcome home,” she said. “I had to stop from crying.”
Josh Mellinger agreed.
“The best part of the program is it honors heroes who served in Vietnam and gives them the proper return home that they never got,” said Mellinger, whose presence in the crowd was somewhat bittersweet.
“My dad was supposed to be on this flight, but he’s at home on hospice,” Mellinger said.
Honor Flight San Diego pays for each trip, which typically costs about $300,000, entirely with donations.
They added a new partnership for this trip with Feed San Diego, a nonprofit that estimates 24 percent of active duty service members don’t have adequate access to food. Collection bins were set up at the airport for food donated by Honor Flight supporters.
Visit feedsandiego.org or honorflightsandiego.org for details.
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