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A single pair of olive green and black combat boots placed poignantly in front of the gleaming ebony granite of the Wall. Oh, if those boots could talk – what stories would they tell?
More than 650 Nebraska Vietnam Veterans flew to Washington D.C., May 1, as part of Patriotic Productions’ Final Mission Honor Flight. While in the national capitol, the veterans toured various monuments in D.C. – including the Vietnam Veterans Memorial – before returning to Lincoln to be “welcomed home” by a crowd of approximately 7,000 at the Lincoln Municipal Airport.
One of those veterans was Patrick Stanosheck of Lincoln, who carried the boots he wore in Vietnam to the airport in Omaha where he boarded the “Red Plane” for the trip onward to Washington, D.C.
Four planes – Red, White, Blue and Uncle Sam Too – carried the veterans and about two-dozen companion volunteers and media from Eppley Airfield in Omaha to the Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. The veterans knew they were in for an eventful day, but no one was prepared for the whirlwind of emotions that would be associated.
Like most of the Vietnam veterans, Richard Sutton of Lincoln was immediately surprised by the crowd greeting them as they disembarked the plane in Washington.
“I was shocked,” Sutton said. “I didn’t think we’d have anything when we came in… and then there they were. It just moved me, to have people applauding me and thanking me for coming back. That meant as much to me as anything. That brought tears to my eyes.”
The veterans funneled through the airport shaking hands, laughing and crying with strangers who had come to greet them. One of the final passengers to leave the plane was Stanosheck, his left hand firmly grasping the tied-together laces of his beloved combat boots.
One-by-one each plane’s occupants traveled by bus to the steps of the Lincoln Memorial to take group photos before being released to explore the Washington Mall, including the most popular stop on the trip: the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.
“It’s very moving,” said Barry Higgins of Omaha. “This is the first time I’ve ever been here to actually feel the pain of everything.”
Higgins and his good friend Larry Baasch said they were both fortunate enough to not only be selected for the Honor Flight, but to travel the entire trip together. The two served separately in the U.S. Navy in Vietnam and ultimately met as co-workers at Mutual of Omaha after leaving the service.
“I would go again,” Higgins said. “I think in everybody’s heart here we would say yes. We would defend the country again.”
Near the center of the left wall, Stanosheck placed his boots at its base along with a set of his own dog tags as a memorial to his late brother Michael – also a Vietnam veteran – who passed away in 2015 from complications due to Agent Orange exposure.
“I wrote a note and left it inside the boots about my brother,” Stanosheck said. “Those were my boots, but my brother wore a pair just like them. There were more victims than the names on that wall and I hope they are all always remembered.”
Just down from the boots, at the wall’s apex, a patriotic wreath was presented at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall on behalf of Nebraska’s veterans.
As Taps echoed from a bugle, the veterans stood at attention and saluted the names of their fallen comrades. Then, as the bugle retreated to silence, the memorial slowly grew lively again as everyone returned their attention back to the wall and their own personal endeavors.
“I haven’t had to use eye drops all day,” said Melvin Harms of Lincoln, laughing away a few tears. “My eyes stay wet.”
Harms said he was honored to find the name of a childhood friend he grew up with. “He’s on the wall,” Harms said, nodding affirmatively while his eyes drifted and became glossy once more. “He got killed his first week over there.”
Cheryl Feala of North Bend, Nebraska, was the only woman veteran on the May 1 trip. A former U.S. Army nurse, she is now a wife, mother and grandmother. And standing before the Vietnam Women’s Memorial, she was all of those in one as she wrapped her arm around the shoulders of a small boy who was asking her questions as his mother watched close by with a smile.
The trip allowed time for more than just the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. Leaving the Washington Mall, the Red Plane headed for Arlington National Cemetery for the Changing of the Guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. As unique an experience as viewing the Changing of the Guard, it was surprisingly a different event at Arlington that affected many of the veterans.
“When we were leaving the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, the bus got stopped by a live funeral procession,” said Clayton Marsh of Papillion. “The horses, the body with the flag on it, the band…I’ve never seen that before. That was really special.”
Married but without children, Marsh was drafted into the Army during the height of the Vietnam War. Marsh said he knew he’d be going overseas, so when he was offered a chance to commission as pilot, he took it – and ultimately served 23.5 years.
“It wasn’t my intent by any means, but I actually liked it,” Marsh said. “I was treated right and I had great opportunities, and I have no regrets whatsoever.”
The short tour of Washington, D.C., allowed the Vietnam veterans to view a few other monuments as well, including the World War II Memorial and the Marine Corps War Memorial. Viewing the Iwo Jima statue for the first time in-person was particularly moving for Marine Vietnam War veteran Richard “R.J.” Riggs of Omaha.
“The Marine Corps has so much tradition,” Riggs said. “This is really close to any Marine’s heart, so it’s a special treat and an honor to see memorials like this dedicated to us and our forefathers.”
Riggs carried a photo of his father, a World War II veteran, and shared it with others at the base of the Marine Corps War Memorial. He said he came from a long line of service members of all major conflicts, as his uncle served in the Korean War and his grandfather served in World War I.
“This was a once in a lifetime trip to see these memorials and to honor my relatives that were here before me,” he said.
Bill Wilber of Chappell, Nebraska, never once thought he’d ever get the chance to visit Washington, D.C., though he always wished he could. “I fought for the country and all of this is here for us, and I’ve never seen it,” he said.
A former high school teacher, Wilber said his students often asked him about his military service and his time in Vietnam, and he’d share some details. Then about a year ago, Wilber said the senior girls asked if he had a DD-214, stating they wanted to do something for him for Veterans Day. Curious, he gave them a copy, but the holiday came and went and nothing happened. Then, early this year he received a call from Bill and Evonne Williams – founders of Patriotic Productions – asking him to sign his paperwork to be part of the Nebraska Honor Flight.
“I just thought, ‘Wow…they actually set it all up for me,’” Wilber said. “It felt great and it makes it all worthwhile.”
Wilber said he never expected he’d be in Vietnam. He enlisted to pay for college, and his first child was born just a month after he left home. But it wasn’t being in the Vietnam War that he struggled with most.
“Coming home though was the worst,” Wilber said. “I was sewing a kid up and they said you’re going home: right now.”
Wilber said he was covered in blood and had little time to gather his gear before being put on a plane with others.
“It was the most silent trip I’ve ever been on in my life,” he said. The plane landed in Japan, and Wilber said when they disembarked, they were ordered to grab their duffle bags, taking everything they were wearing off, change clothes and throwing everything else into a pile. Thirteen and a half hours later, they landed in the United States and he paid a $60 cab fare to get home.
“It was terrible,” Wilber said, swallowing back tears. “My wife didn’t even know I was coming.”
Returning from their Honor Flight was a completely different experience. This time, Wilber’s family would be waiting – with nearly 7,000 others.
The Nebraska Vietnam Veterans Honor Flight concluded with a Welcome Home celebration at the Lincoln Municipal Airport, starting around 8 p.m. As each veteran left the plane and came into the airport terminal, they were greeted by nearly 7,000 members of the community with cheers of thanks, praise and heartfelt chants of “Welcome Home.”
Included in the Welcome Home were volunteers from the Nebraska Army and Air National Guard, including Maj. Scott Henrickson. Hendrickson volunteered because he felt the welcome home was long overdue for most of the veterans, who never received one when they returned from war.
“In fact,” Henrickson said, “it was just the opposite as more often than not these folks were harassed for their affiliation with the military even though they put their lives in harm’s way.”
During the event, Henrickson positioned outside the terminal and said “Thank you,” and shook hands with every veteran within his reach.
“These veterans were so humbled by the welcome home, that they along with their families were the ones saying thank you,” Henrickson said, adding that seeing all the veterans and their families truly appreciating the welcome home with such warm attitudes reaffirmed his affinity for the military.
“It goes to show that whether you served over 40 years ago, or enlisted today, we are family,” he said.
The $600,000 trip on May 1 was the final Honor Flight for Patriotic Productions. In total, the non-profit organization flew 3,300 World War II, Korea and Vietnam Veterans on 11 Honor Flights to Washington D.C. and back. This final flight made history as the largest group of Vietnam veterans from one state to ever visit the wall – over 650 veterans from 180 Nebraska communities.
Patriotic Productions plans to focus all future efforts on continuing the Remembering Our Fallen Memorial exhibits, including the unveiling of a new national traveling exhibit this fall.
“It has been an honor to organize the flights these past 10 years,” Bill Williams said. “We look forward to Nebraskans seeing the Tribute Towers honoring the nation’s fallen in the War on Terror.”
| Date Taken: | 06.01.2017 |
| Date Posted: | 12.14.2017 09:50 |
| Story ID: | 258850 |
| Location: | LINCOLN, NEBRASKA, US |
| Web Views: | 109 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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