Veterans encouraged to take Honor Flight
COSHOCTON – Jack Lyons had a great time in Washington D.C. He’d go back in a minute and take Jack Patterson with him.
“He was wonderful to me,” said Lyons who is a World War II veteran.
Patterson was his guardian on the May 18 Honor Flight out of Columbus and had a wheelchair and umbrella ready for him if he needed it. The flight is a one day, free trip to D.C. for World War II and Korean War veterans to see their memorials. Guardians like Patterson pay their own way to go on the trip and help the veterans.
“We got to see almost all the memorials and our buses were escorted,” Patterson said. “We never stopped for a red light in D.C. We were treated well and were a top priority.”
He and Lyons shared their thoughts on the trip during a presentation July 11, at the Senior Center.
Vietnam Veteran Dave Dilly has organized three of these trips for local veterans and encourages more to take part in the program.
“To go to D.C. with these veterans is very special for me,” he said. “I appreciate that you allow us to be part of your life and accompany you to D.C.”
Nelva Fogle also was thankful for the opportunity to go on the trip as a guardian. She was the first female to go with a group from Coshocton and she was sponsored by the local Blue Star Mothers.
“I enjoyed it,” she said. “It’s the most amazing thing I’ve ever done.”
Many of the veterans who took the trip also spoke about how much they appreciated the people who gathered to welcome them at the airports.
“There were so many people you couldn’t get through,” Lyons said. “You really felt like you had done something.”
World War II veteran Terry Shaw also felt honored while on the trip.
“It felt so good to be appreciated,” he said. “I’ll never forget this.”
Terry’s guardian was his son, Steve Shaw.
“I highly recommend veterans get their applications in and do this,” he said. “It’s a really awesome trip.”
Dilly is planning to get another group of Coshocton veterans together to go on the Honor Flight in September. For more information on how to be part of this trip, visit www.honorflightcolumbus.org or see Patty Dilly at the Coshocton County Veterans Service Office in the basement of the courthouse.
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