tvt05292010-1

2010

Memorial Day

Freedom Celebration

Salute Service Sacrifice

Thomasville, N.C.

2 www.tvilletimes.com SATURDAY, MAY 29, 2010 THOMASVILLE TIMES

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MEMORIAL DAY 2010 Memorial Day 2010 This section is a tribute to the men and women who valiantly served our country to protect the freedoms we enjoy and the American way of life.

Veterans, We Salute You! ABOUT THIS SECTION COVER & PAGE DESIGN LISA M. WALL EDITORIAL CONTENT LISA M. WALL CONTRIBUTING WRITERS ELIOT DUKE ZACH KEPLEY ERIN WILTGEN LYNN WAGNER LARRY MURDOCK ADVERTISING DIRECTOR LYNN WAGNER ADVERTISING MANAGER ELIZABETH HYDE ADVERTISING SALES REPRESENTATIVES DEANNA BLANKENSHIP ANNISSIA BEAL SANDY SOUTHARDS ROGER BOYD KIM HAYES DONNA PRAWEL

Salute Chair City pays homage to veterans

BY ELIOT DUKE Staff Writer

T

he name may have changed, but the meaning and symbolism remains the same.

On May 31, Thomasville will again host what is now called the North Carolina Memorial Day Parade and Ceremony Inc., continuing a tradition that has grown into the largest such event in the Southeast. What started out as a gathering at a veteran’s memorial near Cushwa Stadium 20 years ago, the annual Memorial Day Parade now attracts crowds exceeding 25,000 people.

“We can’t think of a better way to honor all those who paid the ultimate sacrifice so that we can enjoy the freedoms we have today,” Staff Sgt. and event chairman Joe Leonard said. “It keeps growing every year and we are so proud that so many people come to Thomasville to not only pay tribute to our soldiers, but to experience a great civics lesson.”

Leonard’s brother, Hubert, first started the idea when the World War II veteran felt the memorial near Cushwa Stadium wasn’t being kept up properly. In an effort to bring more recognition to the sacrifice of veterans, Joe and Hubert, along with many others, began holding a small service of less than 100 people. As time went on, the event grew to what is now the largest Memorial Day celebration in North Carolina. Joe Leonard feels

the parade is important to young people who may not be aware of all the sacrifices that were made to make their way of life possible.

“A vast majority of young people have no idea the price that’s paid for the freedoms they enjoy,” said Leonard. “Here, you get to see the people who actually did it. There’s not a classroom in the world when you can see that kind of history.”

Veterans dating back to World War II will be on hand during the parade, as well as family members.

The celebration will begin at the Vietnam Veteran’s Memorial on Interstate 85 at 9:30 a.m. before moving to Main Street. The route turns onto Salem Street and ends at Veteran’s Memorial Park.

“We’re expecting between 25 and 30,000 people this year,” Col. Bruce Guard said. “The main thing the parade means is that we have the opportunity to talk to and mingle with the families. We’ve got between 9 and 12 families coming to the ceremony. They mean more to us than anyone.”

Lt. Col. Leon Wessel is a cochairman for the event and said he is happy to say how the community comes together to

honor its veterans. As a Vietnam veteran, Wessell remembers coming home to protests and anger.

Now, Wessell said he has seen nothing but admiration and respect from people towards those in uniform.

“I was walking through the airport and noticed people standing back against a wall,” said Wessell.

“I was with other soldiers and realized these people were saluting us and telling us thank you. That meant a lot to me, and I know it meant a lot to the other guys, too.”

Joe Leonard said planning the parade is a year’s worth of hard work by more than 70 volunteers. This year, the parade will feature replicas of a P47, C-130 and C-117, four helicopters and an appearance by the Army’s Golden Knights. Veterans of all four branches will be attendance, as well as Congressman Howard Coble, Sen. Richard Burr, Lt. Gov. Walter Dalton and Iraq veteran Cal Cunningham.

The parade is expected to start at 11:15 a.m.

THOMASVILLE TIMES SATURDAY, MAY 29, 2010 www.tvilletimes.com

MEMORIAL DAY 2010

Schedule of Events 9:30 a.m. Opening Ceremony — N.C. Vietnam Veterans Memorial (I-85) 11:15 a.m. Parade begins at Big Chair Noon Free Hot Dog Lunch — Cushwa Stadium 12:10 p.m. Guest Speakers, including Rep. Howard Coble 12:45 p.m. 440th Band and 82nd Airborne Corps Chorus 1:00 p.m. Guest Speaker Lt. Gov. Walter Dalton 2 p.m. Golden Knights Parachute Team — Cushwa Stadium 2:30 p.m. Recognition of Families of N.C. Soldiers Killed in Action 3:00 p.m. Keynote Speaker, Laying of the Wreath, Firing Gun Salute, Taps

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N.C. Memorial Day Parade and Ceremony

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MEMORIAL DAY 2010

Gratitude Celebration, parade offer chance to say thanks

BY ZACH KEPLEY Sports Editor

F

or the last decade on Memorial Day, patrons have lined the streets of Thomasville and packed Cushwa Stadium for one sole reason — to show appreciation to those who have defended their freedoms. None of it would be possible without the dedication and hard work of former Thomasville Mayor and veteran himself, Ret. Maj. Gen. Hubert Leonard.

H. Leonard Twenty-three years ago, Leonard was not pleased with what he saw at Veterans Memorial Park. There was just a hole with no monuments, sidewalks or anything on the property.

All that was there was a granite marker that he and a handful of others would visit on Memorial Day to lay poppies.

At that time, it was the only celebration that was held, so he went to work helping to create the park that exists today, as well as coordinating a day full of festivities.

The crowds were very small in the earliest days, but the ceremony held in the Chair City today has grown significantly, as some 25,000 are expected to

‘I think it does the veterans good at least one time during the year to know their service was recognized and that they did something good for their nation.’

— Ret. Maj. Gen. Hubert Leonard U.S. ARMY attend May 31.

“We felt like there should be more recognition, and now it is well recognized all over the nation because we get calls from as far as Georgia and Texas, wanting to know when it will be,” Leonard said.

The day is chocked full of events including a parade, special speakers, a free lunch and various other activities and recognitions. The morning begins with the laying of the wreath at the North Carolina Vietnam Veterans Memorial — a recognition of a war that many Americans frowned upon once the troops returned home. They were greeted with harsh words and spat upon, but today, whether in agreement or not with the Vietnam War, the American people have a greater appreciation for the service these men gave to their country.

“I think everyone has a greater appreciation of a veteran now, than say they had back in the Vietnam War,” said Leonard. “Vietnam veterans were

not treated well upon their welcome home. I think it does the veterans good at least one time during the year to know their service was recognized and that they did something good for their nation.”

Leonard began his service to this great country as a young man fresh out of high school.

When the “Japs” [Japanese], as he called them, attacked Pearl Harbor, that is when he enlisted in the Marine Corps.

“I said, ‘I’ve got to go, so give me a rifle and a bayonet and let me go kill some Japs,’” said Leonard. “When I took my aptitude test in the Marine Corps, they said I was best fitted for flying, so I did not get to kill anybody on the ground.”

But, he does recall a moment on the ground during World War II that has always stuck with him.

He brought home a Japanese flag as a souvenir that he still has today, and remembers the exact events that took place.

Leonard spotted the flag hanging off a tree limb, and made

his way over to collect it. As he was untying it, he looked down and saw a Japanese troop that was in mangled condition and dead.

“I said to myself, this guy has given his life for this flag I am about to take down and I respect him for that,” Leonard said. “He is here for his flag like I am here for the flag of my country. If I knew who he was, I would take that to his family,” he concluded.

That experience changed the way he views conflicts.

“It did not change my ability to defend, but it changed my thinking about war, that you ought to be able to sit down at a table and resolve your differences rather than killing each o t h e r , ” said Leonard.

Leonard is one veteran that has indeed been shown appreciation for his service throughout the years. He has a National Guard Armory named after him in High Point, a bridge named after him in Thomasville and his name appears on the marker for the Veterans walk at the park.

“They have adequately recognized me, but they do not have to,” said Leonard. “I did it because I wanted to and I got great satisfaction on service to not only the military but the civilian population. I have led a beautiful life and have an outstanding family in every respect. I have no bridges to burn or anything. I did a lot of things military and civilian that I wanted to do and I needed to do. I am glad a lot of those things happened. The only recognition I need is to see things going well.”

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MEMORIAL DAY 2010

Service WWII soldiers took on missions unlike any other

BY ELIOT DUKE Staff Writer

S

gt. Curry Regan had the job nobody wanted.

Partially hidden under the cloak of night, sometimes yards away from the enemy, Regan and fellow engineers from his platoon built key strategic bridges across French waterways during World War II, helping pave the way for Allied forces advancing into Germany.

“It wasn’t the job that you would volunteer for,” Regan said. “I never talk much about it, but I will say that I have never been as scared in all my life.”

Basic training taught Regan and his men how to construct a bridge in three hours under normal circumstances. Rarely were Regan’s circumstances normal. More times than not, building bridges across the Rhine River included taking cover from German artillery and mortar fire, shooting back at an enemy silhouetted in the evening sky by nothing more than distant explosions, and casualties.

“The shells would start falling and we knew they were beyond a line of trees in the distance,” said Regan. “We knew where the shells were coming from and we would hit the dirt.

They were close to us and they knew where we were.”

On one particular project, a nearly finished bridge encountered a hitch when artillery shells started raining down from the stars. Regan knew the enemy’s proximity and the severity of the situation soon after receiving the order to take cover. Within seconds, Regan found himself alone on the bridge, staring at just a few more unfinished planks standing in the way of him doing his part.

‘I had the distinction of being in combat and my life was spared. I thank God for that often.’

— Sgt. Curry Ragan U.S. ARMY

“I was just about finished getting the floor on that bridge so the infantry could go pursue the Germans,” Regan said. “When I got the command to get down, everyone took off and I was by myself. I was the only one left on the bridge so I kept working. Two more fellows came to help me after seeing me by myself. It was a pretty rough

time right there. If we wouldn’t have got the bridge finished so the troops could get across, the Germans would have come back across and counterattacked. That would have been tough.”

Regan received the Bronze Star for his dedication, but he’s quick to point out the fact that others never stepped off the bridge that night. Two soldiers and several others were wounded during the attack.

“It’s a precious memory is what it is,” said Regan. “Everybody was always sad when we lost a man. It was a sad situation because you never knew when the next one might be you. You think about that.

You’re always thankful, and I praise God for sparing me.

It could’ve been anybody. We were on the same bridge and the same spot of ground. I remember them today.”

While Regan’s nights were normally spent in construction, his days revolved around destruction. Specifically, road blocks. Combat engineers were normally used as support for the infantry, but Regan recalls seeing most of them in the rear, waiting to have a clear path in front of them. With a road cleared or a bridge completed, Regan and other engineers often stood aside and watched commanders take the first steps with troops close behind.

It would stay like that until the next project no one wanted became priority.

In the closing months of the war, Regan would again find himself in harm’s way while fighting in the Battle of the Bulge, one of the deadliest battles to take place in Europe. It was situations like that where Regan realized the difference between serving and fighting.

“It just brings back the memories of the part I had during the war,” Regan said. “I saw combat, and there’s a lot of difference between being in the military and being in war. I had the distinction of being in combat and my life was spared.

I thank God for that often. I still remember that it was divine protection that I had.”

This Memorial Day, Regan will greet as many veteran family members as he can during the celebration, remembering those w h o didn’t make it back from the same soil that now, even at age 90, defines his life.

Their faces still appear in his thoughts and their sacrifice will be shared by all during the annual Chair City parade.

Regan had the job nobody wanted, but the role he played ensured the losses of his fellow soldiers weren’t in vain. He did it one plank at a time.

Staff Writer Eliot Duke can be reached at 888-3578, or duke@ tvilletimes.com.

THOMASVILLE TIMES SATURDAY, MAY 29, 2010 www.tvilletimes.com

God Bless our Veterans from wars past, God Bless our troops currently serving around the World, and God Bless this great country and the Freedoms and Heritage which keep us strong!

Celebrating Freedom Memorial Day 2010

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MEMORIAL DAY 2010

Family

— Francis Marion Crawford

Military transitions brother into soldier and hero

BY LYNN WAGNER Guest Writer

T

he ‘60s saw the birth of a new generation — the ‘hippie’ movement and a new sense of liberation, love and peace. For me, they were an extension of the ‘50s — good music, good times and … falling in love. I recorded many milestones in my life during the ‘60s — high school graduation, marriage and the births of my first and second sons.

But they were not all good memories. In the Spring of 1968, the brother who was closest in age to me was drafted and sent to Vietnam. Mother’s Day, 1968, is imprinted forever in my mind.

That was the last time my family was together before my beloved brother was shipped to a foreign land, raging with war and horrors we could not imagine. He was only 20 years old and I could not comprehend, nor did I want to imagine, the difficult task before him.

Nineteen months later, December 23, 1969, I came to realize the magnitude of the mission, the possibility that I could have lost my brother forever. My Mother was notified that he had been seriously wounded and was hospitalized in Japan. The next day, Christmas Eve, when we celebrate the birth of our Savior, I gave birth to my second son. The miracle of the Season and joy of his birth was marred by the uncertainty of my

brother’s survival.

My story has a better ending than many. My brother recovered to return home a decorated war hero earning three Bronze Stars, two Silver Stars and three Purple Hearts. But his physical recovery was not complete and even more pronounced are the permanent psychological scars he carries from the horrors of war.

My story could be echoed by thousands across our land.

We understand the price of freedom, the necessity to protect our world from oppression.

And we do not begrudge the service of our young men and women, our sons and daughters, brothers and sisters. But we must remember that the consequence of that service can, and does, change lives forever.

As this Memorial Day approaches let’s not forget to honor our brave men and women who have served and those who are in service now, so valiantly and courageously protecting our freedoms.

To those who paid the ultimate price, we know you preserved our way of life by sacrificing yours and we are humbled. And to those who returned, like my brother,

‘They fell, but o’er their glorious grave Floats free the banner of the cause they died to save.’ .’

our honor, respect and gratitude should be evidenced daily. Their service is not over, nor will it ever be. Our pain of waiting and hoping for their safe return is but a dim memory, but the horror of their memories will never die.

I lost a part of my brother in the jungles of Vietnam — the fun-loving, carefree spirit that used to drive me crazy. And I know he lost a part of himself, too. But all was not lost, there was much gained.

I gained a new respect and appreciation for him and for our Country, and I’m sure he gained a higher regard for family and freedom. And because of his service, and the many others who sacrificed, it is our responsibility to make sure their sacrifice was not in vain.

The America that our forefathers founded, and so many have fought and died for, the American freedoms that so many around the world long for, must never die.

To Roger, first my beloved brother, and second, the decorated war hero, I love you. And for our freedom and the tremendous sacrifice you made to help preserve it, America loves you!

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MEMORIAL DAY 2010

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and mental fitness tests as they rise in the ranks. Roseboro said that besides Staff Writer not allowing women in the infantry, he few, the proud â&#x20AC;&#x201D; the wom- little to no male-female discrimination en who stand besides their exists in the military. â&#x20AC;&#x153;When you are at work or at war, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s male counterparts in service to their country often slip be- not about whether youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re male or female, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s really about how many lives neath societyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s notice.

Shante Roseboro, a Spanish professor can be saved,â&#x20AC;? she said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Your gender at Davidson County Community, says becomes invisible.â&#x20AC;?

That obliviousness to sexism that there are many differences in the way women are treated in the civilian world may be prevalent in other aspects of soas opposed to in the military world, ciety partially stems from the fact that soldiers swear to obey emphasizing how in the and trust all leadership armed forces, gender disupon entrance into the appears because of the â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;When youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re in military and partially trust and loyalty between soldiers and superiors. combat, you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t from necessity. â&#x20AC;&#x153;When youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re in comâ&#x20AC;&#x153;Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re kind of taught have time to worry bat, you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have time not to see genders, but to see rank,â&#x20AC;? said Roseabout whoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s male or to worry about whoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s male or female, whoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s boro, who had held a pofemale, whoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s what what race,â&#x20AC;? Roseboro sition of authority during said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;All you have time her time in the military. race.â&#x20AC;&#x2122; for is to successfully â&#x20AC;&#x153;With that in place, I felt complete the mission. respected in my posiâ&#x20AC;&#x201D; Shante Roseboro When you start thinking tion.â&#x20AC;?

U.S. ARMY about other things that Roseboro entered the have nothing to do with military in 1998 and rethat, lives are at stake.â&#x20AC;? mained on active duty On the other side of the until 2003. After that she was on reserve from 2005 to 2006. Though Roseboro said coin, Roseboro said that she never felt the process was challenging at first, her judged in her position of authority just comrades worked hard to make her feel because she was a woman. â&#x20AC;&#x153;As a female in the job I had, I didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t comfortable. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Army works so hard for team feel pressured to perform better than cohesion that my peers â&#x20AC;&#x201D; male and fe- males,â&#x20AC;? she said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I did feel pressure to male alike â&#x20AC;&#x201D; were a great encourage- work either to the standard or above the standard, but males are expected to do ment,â&#x20AC;? she said.

And just like men in the armed forces, women are expected to pass physical See WOMEN, Page 17

BY ERIN WILTGEN

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16 www.tvilletimes.com SATURDAY, MAY 29, 2010 THOMASVILLE TIMES

MEMORIAL DAY 2010

Sacrifice Soldiers lay life on the line for freedom Staff Writer

E

ven as the soldier fell, his comrades carried on, pushing forth with the mission even with tears stinging their eyes.

Only later, in the relative safety of Army tents, did the soldiers let the impact of what had happened sink in.

Only Grimes then, did commanders spread the word.

“We’d get each crew together and speak to them and tell them the facts,” said Lt. Col. Mac Grimes of Thomasville.

Resources such as a chaplain, a friend and conflict veterans help the young combatants cope with death.

“Everybody kind of deals with it in their own way,” Grimes said. “And if you have individual soldiers that need to take a knee and process that and deal with it, you take time for that. A lot of soldiers, the best honor that they could pay to their

fellow soldiers was to continue the mission.”

Funeral service follows the basic morning period, or rather joins it. Friends of the fallen come forth and speak their memories. A chaplain offers words of condolence.

“I don’t know how to describe it, it’s a very difficult time,” Grimes said.

Having lived through the death of soldiers from his brigade and one from his battalion — and even after just the experience of war itself — Grimes says Memorial Day has taken on a whole new meaning.

“I think it’s something that a lot of people tend to take for granted,” Grimes said. “It’s a lot more personal when you’ve had fellow soldiers, particularly in a current conflict, that you’ve lost.”

Even though Grimes grew up in a military family, which understands the significance of the holiday more than most, his personal experience helped drive the message home.

“It [Memorial Day] carries a lot more meaning to me than it has in the past,” he said. It makes you very grateful and humble.”

Laura Grimes, Mac’s

mother, has had a similar experience of changing emotion. Her grandfather served in World War I, her father in World War II, and her husband, City Council Member Neil Grimes, was in the National Guard for 26 years and just missed the Vietnam War. “I spent my life in the military,” she said. “This is the first time that I’ve lived through someone being at war. I think about my grandmother and how it must have been for her with her son somewhere in the Pacific and not having the communication that we have now.”

The Grimes family participates heavily in the Thomasville Memorial Day celebration. Mac said it’s hard for him each year to witness the families of the fallen honored at the ceremony.

“It’s a difficult time of the year because that’s just another reminder,” he said. “My heart very much goes out to all of their families. I hope that they take some small comfort from the fact that they’re soldiers, that they’re not forgotten.”

For Laura, seeing those who have lost sons in the war reawakens a small

nightmare of her own.

Mac has deployed twice in his 22 years of military service, both times to Iraq. With each deployment, the mother feared she would never see her son again.

‘A lot of soldiers, the best honor that they could pay to their fellow soldiers was to continue the mission.’

— Lt. Col. Mac Grimes

U.S. Army

See FREEDOM, Page 17

Thomasville… a great place to live!

546265

BY ERIN WILTGEN

THOMASVILLE TIMES SATURDAY, MAY 29, 2010 www.tvilletimes.com

17

MEMORIAL DAY 2010 FREEDOM From page 16

“It’s the last thing you think of when you go to sleep and the first thing you think of when you get up in the morning,” she said. “And that’s the same for every mother.”

Though Mac acknowledges the risks he faces every day, he knows it comes with the job. But that doesn’t make the reality any less painful for the families of those lost.

“There’s just no way that we could repay that debt but we do recognize and acknowledge it and let the families know that

the loved ones that they lost were important people,” Mac said.

Honoring those sacrifices embodies precisely what Memorial Day is all about, Laura says.

“I’m really proud of the men who have served,” she said. “It just takes a whole lot to put yourself out there and do what they do. It’s really incredible that we have people that are willing to make the sacrifices. There are tremendous sacrifices to be made.”

WOMEN From page 15 the same thing.”

In the civilian world, however, Roseboro said the attitude is somewhat different. Females are still somewhat held to gender-specific roles, a notion that must change, Roseboro said.

“Women not only can be nurses, but they can carry weapons,” she said.

“Women are not only

‘For love of country they accepted death.’

mothers, but they can be teachers, translators.”

Women and men aren’t always judged equally or merely by capability and follow-through. And those women who do find success do so seemingly below the radar.

“We do a lot of stuff, but we do it silently,” Roseboro said. “We’re used to a lot of male role mod-

and acknowledge other women who are doing the same thing,” she said.

“Or we forget to turn around and grab another woman’s hand.”

These lessons become especially crucial to students and teenagers, who are far removed from the women’s rights movement in the 1920s.

62nd ANNUAL MEMORIAL DAY SERVICE Veteran’s Memorial Section

— James A. Garfield

A Proud Tribute

Sunday, May 30th, 2010 2:00 pm

We salute those who put their lives on the line for our country, making the ultimate sacrifice in defense of the land they loved. We owe our freedom and our way of life to these brave men and women, and we proudly honor their memories this Memorial Day.

Master of Ceremonies: Randy Brown Memorial Day Address: Freelance Writer for High Point Enterprise; DICK JONES Special Patriotic Music: h3HEPHERD S 6OICEv

To all of our veterans past and present, and those in uniform today, thank you for your service to our country.

MEMORIAL DAY We Salute Our Nation’s Heroes

Holly Hill Memorial Park

els being put in the spot light.”

And in some ways, Roseboro said any recognition and assistance needs to come from other females.

“I think women spend so much time trying to break through the glass ceiling of success that we forget to turn around

Sponsored by American Legion Post 87 and Ladies Auxiliary.

Flowers furnished by Floral Garden Memorial Park.

Refreshments provided by American Legion Post 206 Ladies Auxiliary

401 W. Holly Hill Rd., Thomasville

472-7455

Special invitation to: s 'OLD 3TAR -OTHERS

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18 www.tvilletimes.com SATURDAY, MAY 29, 2010 THOMASVILLE TIMES

s e o Her

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20 www.tvilletimes.com SATURDAY, MAY 29, 2010 THOMASVILLE TIMES

MEMORIAL DAY 2010

Honor Flight helps veterans’ dreams become reality

BY LARRY MURDOCK Guest Writer

B

ased on recent statistics, World War II veterans are dying at the alarming rate of approximately 1,000 per day, according to the Honor Flight Network. For many remaining veterans, whose dream is to visit the nation’s capital and see the memorial built in honor of them and their fallen comrades, one program is helping to make that dream come true.

The Flight of Honor Program was born shortly after the completion of the World War II Memorial in Washington, D.C. in 2004. Earl Morse, a retired Air Force Captain and physicians assistant, would often discuss the new memorial with his patients who were veterans of World War II. Morse asked his patients if they had yet had the opportunity to visit the memorial.

As seasons passed, Morse learned that his friends and patients may never be able to make the trip, due to physical and fi-

Max Meeks after the Flight of Honor.

nancial restraints. Families and friends also lacked the resources and time to complete the three-to-four-day trip.

Although most of the veterans had given up hope, Morse had an idea. As a private pilot, Morse offered to fly some of his World War II patients to see the memorial, which they readily accepted.

Morse realized that there were many veterans who would have the same reaction. In January 2005, he addressed about 150 members of an “aero club” asking the pilots to help make these dreams a reality for the veterans.

There were two major stipulations: Veterans were to pay nothing, with aircraft rental being paid by the pilots; and the pilots were to escort the veterans around Washington for the entire day.

After he spoke, 11 pilots who had never met his patients stepped up to volunteer. And Honor Flight was born.

Locally, there have been a number of WWII veterans who have had the opportunity to take the Flight of Honor through the Triad Chapter. Taking the most recent trips were Thomasville residents Winfred Armentrout, John Cranford, Curry Ragan, Roger Boles and Glenn Leonard.

Jim Dorety and the late Rev. Howard Allred, both fighter pilots in the Air Force, went on one of the earlier flights.

“Quite Great” is how Cranford described the Flight of Honor. He said that he had been to Washington on numerous occasions and that so many things had been built and added that it was

See DREAMS, Page 22

TIMES PHOTO/LARRY MURDOCK

A World War II veteran is greated by family and friends upon his return home from visiting Washington on the Flight of Honor.

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22 www.tvilletimes.com SATURDAY, MAY 29, 2010 THOMASVILLE TIMES

MEMORIAL DAY 2010 DREAMS From page 20 still an interesting place.

Armentrout applauded the Rotary Clubs for their hospitality and sponsorship of the program, saying veterans were treated, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Royally.â&#x20AC;?

Cranford agreed. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Everyone was nice and friendly and took care of us.â&#x20AC;?

WWII Veterans were identified by wearing yellow shirts. Disabled veterans in wheel chairs were seated in â&#x20AC;&#x153;first classâ&#x20AC;? on the aircraft. Box lunches were served for lunch.

The even shared letters that local school children had written to the veterans.

Above all, they were in awe of the many memorial tributes. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The memorials were something else,â&#x20AC;? Cranford said. As a Marine,

the Iwo Jima Memorial took on special meaning.

Ragan described the memorials as â&#x20AC;&#x153;the most interesting thing,â&#x20AC;? with the Iwo Jima memorial being of his favorites, too. A former grocery store owner â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Thomasville Store Company on Salem Street â&#x20AC;&#x201D; and later, a banker for 34 years, Ragan is 90 years young and still hunts deer.

Retired radio personality Max Meeks, of Thomasville, summed up the May 11 Flight of Honor as an â&#x20AC;&#x153;awesome experience, the best planned trip ever.â&#x20AC;? He visited the WWII Memorial, where each branch of service has its own memorial, followed by the Lincoln, Vietnam, Korean, Iwo Jima and Navy memorials, as well as the Air Force Museum. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Enjoy life, donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t let it pass you by,â&#x20AC;? Meeks said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;If someone gives

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Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s what I think about the Flight of Honor, take it and say, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Thank you.â&#x20AC;&#x2122;â&#x20AC;?

Once all the WWII veterans have had the opportunity to visit the memorials in Washington, the Honor Flight Network will focus its efforts on Korean then Vietnam War veterans, honoring them similarly.

The Triad Flight of Honor is a project of Rotary District 7690, which includes Alamance. Caswell, Chatham, Davidson, Davie, Forsyth, Guilford, Lee, Montgomery, Moore, Randolph, Rockingham, Stokes, Surry and Yadkin counties.

World War II veterans living in the Triad who would like to make the Flight of Honor, call (336) 285-8847 to have an application mailed, or contact a local Rotary Club for an application.

Monday, May 31, 2010

FREEDOM BOND DRAWING New to this yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Memorial Day Celebration, a drawing for United States War Bonds â&#x20AC;&#x201D; which are being called Freedom Bonds â&#x20AC;&#x201D; will be held at the conclusion of the dayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ceremony at the cannons in Memorial Park. Free tickets for the bonds will be distributed from 9:30 to 11:15 a.m. at the Gazebo behind the Big Chair. You must be present during the drawing to win.

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