History That Can’t Be Found in Books

By Holly Shaffner

Since 2010, Honor Flight San Diego has taken over 1,500 senior veterans on a trip of a lifetime. It is a 3-day trip to our nation’s capital to visit the memorials built for the veteran’s service and sacrifice.

In less than 72 hours, veterans fly from San Diego, visit the WWII, Lincoln, Korea, Vietnam, U.S. Air Force, and U.S. Marine Corps Memorial, Arlington National Cemetery for the Changing of the Guard Ceremony, visit the National Museum of the U.S. Navy, and fly home to hero’s homecoming. For many of the veterans, it is more than visiting memorials, it is also a time for bonding and closure. For some, this may the last trip they ever take.

To say the trip is a whirlwind is an understatement - and now imagine doing it at 70, 80, 90, or 100+ years old! The spring trip returned to San Diego in early May with 85 veterans – WWII and Korea veterans, and two terminally ill Vietnam veterans.

Every trip is memorable, and HonorFlight San Diego tries to incorporate unique memories into each flight. On this trip, team leaders Mel Taitano and Dee Folse performed a special ceremony for the two terminally ill veterans. In a perfected military-style ceremony at the Vietnam wall, they unveiled an American Flag, ceremoniously folded it, and presented it to each ill veteran as onlookers watched in silence.

Another special part of the past trip was when WWII U.S. Marine Corps veteran Pete Mayfield visited the U.S. Marine Corps Memorial. You see, he was at Iwo Jima and saw BOTH flags being raised on Mt. Suribachi! He had never seen the memorial that was built for his service and on this trip and he vividly recalled all the details of February 23rd, 1945. As word got out that he was there in 1945, children and adults gathered to shake his hand and hear his story. The men and women may not have spoken about their service for decades, but something about being around their fellow military brothers and sisters brings out the stories.

When WWII U.S. Marine Corps Gunnery Sergeant veteran Gus Matero was in the National Museum of the U.S. Navy, he saw an exhibit and map he recognized. He told his guardian his story of theBattle of Peleliu and Okinawa and showed him on a map the exact location where his unit and squad landed. That’s history you can’t find in a book.

And then there was U.S. Navy veteran Sam Viglione. For two full days, he was quiet and humble, and his guardian did what she could to bring out his stories. He finally came out of his hardened shell at the homecoming. As the veterans got off the plane, they could hear the crowd cheering and they had no idea it was for them. One by one, the veterans came down the escalator and elevator and were saluted by men and women in uniform. The baggage claim area was a sea of red, white, and blue. When this sailor saw that 800 people were there to give him the homecoming he didn’t after the Korean War, it made those salty eyes tear up. Finally, he was honored and truly felt the thanks he had been hearing all weekend!

This flight was likely the last FULL flight of WWII and Korean era veterans as the organization has only a few WWII and Korea vets remaining on their waiting list. This fall they begin a new chapter and will start taking Vietnam veterans on the Honor Flight. When the veterans fly on the Honor Flight, they travel at no cost to them due to the generosity of donors.

For more information about Honor Flight San Diego, please visit: www.honorflightsandiego.org or call (800) 655-6997.

Homecoming, Pete Mayfield, Jack Gauthier Photos by Chris Stone