Honor Flight 137: A Day of Emotional Tributes and Celebratory Homecomings for our Veterans

The men and women who would visit memorials in Washington D.C. on Oct. 31 for the Battelle-sponsored Honor Flight Columbus Mission 137 arrived at John Glenn International Airport at a time more appropriate for a fishing trip than an emotional journey. 

But an Honor Flight is an all-day affair, and that morning, 87 veterans, along with numerous guardians and support staff boarded a chartered flight at 7 am. It is a day run with precision and delivers the remarkable recognition for which Honor Flight is intended. In the baggage claim prior to takeoff, they talked, laughed, recorded stories and took pictures. A quiet nervousness was noticeable amid the din and jocularity.

The sun rose during the flight, a gorgeous natural display of color that gave way to warm weather blue skies as our group moved from memorial to memorial. The trip made crystal clear to the men and women who served our country, in visceral terms, that the people in the country love and hold them in high regard.

At Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport at 8 in the morning, strangers awaiting their own planes applauded as the veterans came into the concourse. They weren’t clapping just for one veteran, but for them all. No one asked them to do it, though the airport intercom did announce our arrival. For 15 minutes, strangers clapped and waved and shook the hands of these veterans—most of them of the Vietnam era—who did not expect it. The encouragement was borne on the kindness of people they’d never met and who they had served to protect. It would be a motif of the day.

As the group boarded the busses awaiting at the airport, one veteran checked in with his daughter. He told her he was enjoying it, but with a sense that he didn’t deserve it as much as those with Purple Hearts. “You deserve it too, dad. I hope you feel honored and treasured. I’m so proud of you. And you figured out FaceTime!”

The first stop of the day was the Air Force Memorial perched on a hill overlooking the Pentagon. The veterans bantered about which service was best, laughing and sharing stories. Veteran Ben Morris shook his head as he beheld the three spires that serve as the centerpiece for the memorial. “I never figured I’d live this long, to see something like this,” he said.

The next stop was Arlington National Cemetery and the tightly choreographed Changing of the Guard by the Sentinels of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Following the somber ceremony, many of the veterans visited specific destinations in the revered cemetery: Final resting places for John Glenn and Audie Murphy.

After the next stop at the U.S. Navy Memorial Plaza for lunch came the biggest stop of the day—the World War II Memorial, the Korean War Veterans Memorial and the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. A celebratory group photo gave way to a long stroll between the Lincoln Memorial and the Washington Monument to take in the memorials. The Vietnam war and the sacrifice made by so many of their brothers and sisters-in-arms still weighs heavy on those soldiers.

Several Battelle Solvers who live in the area joined the group for the day. “I believe that almost every one of us knows a veteran,” said Regina Schofield, Battelle’s Director of Corporate Engagement & Education Outreach. “For me, October 31st was not just for those in the generation (like my father, his uncle – who lost his leg in WWI - and three of his brothers) that we escorted, but also my cousins and younger brother who served in peace time missions. We send our brave young men and women off to foreign lands to fight for our freedom. We should always be mindful of theirs and their families’ sacrifice to keep us safe. This was a way for me to show my gratitude and to revisit the monuments with a fresh lens.”

Dan Berler is Battelle’s Director of Government Business Development. “Having been born and raised in Washington, D.C., I’ve been to all those monuments and memorials countless times, but never with three busloads of veterans,” he said. “It’s impossible to capture the depth of the experience, asking questions, listening to stories and simply hanging out with these men and women.”

While Honor Flight Columbus 137 veterans looked for names of friends and relatives on the Wall at the Vietnam Memorial, a group of students from Warsaw, Ohio found our group. The teacher announced to the group, “My kids would like to shake your hands.” And they did, to the astonishment of several in the veterans group.

“I shed several tears, but there were two things that especially touched me,” Berler said. “When a line of young people thanked them for their service, I was standing witness to the surprise and emotion in the veterans’ eyes as it sunk in,” he said. “Second, I didn’t know they would be greeted by so many people at the Columbus airport upon their return—a most fitting and well-deserved homecoming indeed.”

After another short bus ride, dinner served at the Military Women’s Memorial, an impressive venue featuring an array of displays honoring women’s military service and a history of how that service came to be. There, Honor Flight Columbus Executive Director Beth Johnson presented special honorariums to veterans Tricia Shomion and Trina Simcox.

“It was great to spend time with our veterans and hear their life stories,” said John McCracken, Director of Talent Acquisition at Battelle. “It was particularly powerful to spend time at the different memorials to honor their fellow service members.”

The last stop of the day was at the U.S. Marine Corps War Memorial, an impressive and immense statue based on the image of the flag-raising on the island of Iwo Jim during World War II. The group arrived at dusk, ground lights illuminating the profound piece just as our group arrived at dusk.  

One might expect exhaustion on the plane ride home following the long day. Not these veterans. They talked about their experiences and shared photos, completely unaware that a large group of at least 2,000 friends and loved ones awaited them in Columbus. As they left the plane for the terminal, a cacophony of cheers and applause greeted them; an honor guard stood at attention and bagpipes lent their distinct flavor to the surreal occasion, while the crowd formed a tunnel of appreciation that stretched hundreds of yards.  

Wayne Vickers was overwhelmed. “It lifts you up and puts you on your toes,” he said. “I don’t talk a lot about my time there, but today makes feel like talking about it. This has made me so happy. That was so beautiful. I wanted to sit down in the crowd and cry. I wasn’t prepared for that.” 

Dan “Boots” Longenette, a local radio host, greeted all the veterans as they entered the airport. To one Vietnam veteran, he summed up the day perfectly. “I’m sorry it’s taken us so long to thank you properly.”