A flight to remember(An article from the Marshall, MN Independent newspaper.)
Clarence McLaughlin couldn't help but be touched when kids started approaching him to shake his hand and thank him and his fellow veterans for their service.
McLaughlin of Marshall was one of 110 veterans from southwest Minnesota who traveled to Washington D.C. last weekend to see the memorials of war during the inaugural trip of the Southwest Minnesota Honor Flight program.
The Honor Flight program, which is new to Minnesota, is a non-profit organization with volunteers across the country dedicated to transporting veterans, free of charge, to see the memorials of Washington D.C.
"It's an all expense trip paid for them," Cristy Appel, co-chairperson of the Southwest Minnesota Honor Flight, said.
Volunteers accompany the veterans on the trip to help shuttle them from place to place. The volunteers had to pay their own way.
"It's about $800 for guardians," Appel said. "They get veterans where they need to go. It's amazing, they work very very hard."
The volunteers split the veterans up between three different buses and organized the trip schedule.
"We didn't have to worry about getting lost," veteran Peter Labat said. "It was really organized."
The trip is short, lasting only two days. The veterans arrived at around 11 a.m. Friday, April 30, in Washington D.C. and returned to Minnesota on Saturday night.
"They were very tired, but they were very thankful," Appel said. "You don't hear a complaint from them."
While in Washington D.C. they visited the World War II Memorial, Vietnam Memorial, Arlington National Cemetery, Air Force Museum, Hiroshima Museum and others.
"We saw all the monuments down there," Labat said. "It was quite a trip."
Labat was a B-26 airplane mechanic during World War II. He said for most of his 3-1/2 years in the service he was stationed within the United States, but for his last six months he was stationed in Guam. He said the enjoyed the opportunity to see the memorials.
"The World War II was really the largest," he said. "The Air Force Memorial was my favorite."
At the World War II Memorial, the veterans met with grade school children from Georgia.
"I talked to a busload of school kids from Georgia," McLaughlin said. "They came up to us and had to shake our hands and thank us. It really got to ya when you had young kids thanking you for doing something like that."
Labat said that there was a lot to take in during the trip.
"There was quite a bit of walking," he said jokingly. "If people wanted to go they should bring a chair or a cane."
Friday night a banquet was held at the hotel in which veterans could tell their stories from the war. Each veteran had a chance to tell their story.
"Some of the speeches were real heartwrenching. It was quite was the experience some of them had," McLaughlin said.
While at the airport Friday evening Honor Flight volunteers handed out letters written by southwest Minnesota children for the veterans.
"When we were waiting in the airport they handed us envelopes. In these envelopes were letters from school children from Minnesota schools thanking us," McLaughlin said. "I read some of these letters from these school kids thanking us for doing the job. That got to ya. "
The veterans' plane was delayed on the way back, but Appel said it didn't affect their spirits.
"I watched them take off and I watched them come back," she said. "Their flight was three hours late and they were still grinning ear to ear when they got home."
The Southwest Minnesota chapter of Honor Flight started last December when volunteers from Pipestone, Rock, Murray and Nobles counties got together to begin raising money for the program.
"The four counties got together in the beginning," Appel said. "Within six months we raised $136,000."
The organization took donations from local businesses and held bake and rummage sales. The VFW held a fund-raiser dinner and the Kiwanis held a pancake breakfast.
"The money just flowed in," Appel said. "and its still coming in, we have enough for another flight."
The next flight is being scheduled for October.
"I think its a wonderful program," Labat said. "I would say if anyone has the opportunity to go and they are able to go they really should take it in."
My little Monkey!
Nothin' better than running around at the park!
hmmm, where to now?
Will (4 years old) flying down the slide!
His hair was sticking straight up!
So silly!
So serious!
Finny! (10 months)
Wilbur striking a pose!
Finny loved crawling around in the grass!
Big smile!
Little dudes! Finally a shot of Baby Noah (6 months)...sweet little boy!
The Dorfsman boys
I am sure he will kill me someday!
Waving at the neighbors!
Okay, Mama! That's enough!
The nips are a bit lumpy/bumpy!
But I guess they were a hit!
What do you mean there is something on my face?
But look how cute I am!
Even more when I smile...see!
My WIllmar girls!
My Bemidiji girls!
Officer Dorfsman and Em!
Uncle Boom!
Cakes!
Brothers... (why does it look like a 5 year old took this picture?)
Me and my guy...
Uncle Boom telling stories...
Our neighbor Dave and Megan being silly.
More neighbors/friends, Heidi, Sammi and Shonda.
A flight to remember