15 Apr Honor Air Atlanta 2014
One of our honored veterans is greeted by a US Airways official as we arrived in Washington DC.
On April 2nd the Roswell Rotary Club sponsored their 6th Honor Air trip of World War II and Korean veterans to Washington, DC to see their memorials. There is no cost whatsoever to our veterans. Their Guardians pay their own way.
Our first trip was in 2008. We took 100 WWII veterans and 15 wheelchairs. This year we took 68 veterans and 45+ wheelchairs. The difference is that instead of a guardian being responsible for two or three veterans, now we match them one to one.
Our day began in Roswell, GA where veterans, guardians, safety crew, EMTs and physicians gathered around 5:30 am. At 6:00 three buses left for the Atlanta airport, almost immediately driving under the Roswell Fire Department’s Crossed Ladder Salute, our first thrill of the day.
The veterans could not believe the motorcycle escorts. The Roswell police and the Patriot Guard riders parted the early morning rush hour traffic all the way down to Hartsfield-Jackson. One gentleman remarked, “I never got to the airport that fast in my life!”
As the motorcade headed for the freeway I talked to WSB’s traffic reporter Captain Herb Emory. He was in his helicopter watching out for us. Here is his telecast from a previous Honor Air trip. Tragically, Captain Herb died of a massive heart attack ten days later, on Saturday April 12th. Earlier that afternoon he had stopped to offer assistance at an automobile accident near his home. That’s the kind of man he was, and he was certainly a good friend to us.
Getting through security was a breeze. TSA was all ready for us. After a grand send off by our State Senator John Albers and the Patriot Guard Riders we boarded our US Airways charter. As she has done on all six trips now, charter coordinator Regina accompanied us all the way to make sure that everything went super-smoothly, and it did.
Honor Air Atlanta 2014 in from of the Georgia Column at the WWII Memorial
When we landed at Reagan in Washington DC, US Airways, the Honor Flight, USO, and passengers waiting for other planes were all there to greet our veterans as they entered the gate area. Songs, cheers, flags, high fives, thanks, kisses (a few veterans couldn’t get enough of them!) and yes, tears.
After boarding three buses we made the rounds of the World War II Memorial, Korean War Veterans Memorial, Lincoln Memorial, Vietnam Veterans Memorial, a drive by the Marine Corps War Memorial, and as an end to a full day, the Changing of the Guard at Arlington National Cemetery.
Each stop was an opportunity to talk to our honored guests and take their pictures while enjoying a beautiful day.
From Normandy to the Berghof
The person I spent the most time talking to was Harold Latham who served during World War II with the Coast Guard. A retired first sergeant, Harold was barely 16 when war broke out. He lied about his age so he could join up.
Harold Latham is interviewed by Roswell High School teacher and WWII author Alex Chrzanowski
What I learned from Harold was how important the Coast Guard was to so many WWII operations. By D-Day he was on the USS Bayfield at Utah Beach. He watched some of his crew mates drown as they tried to get onto the beach carrying packs that were too heavy. On the 2nd day he was ordered back to his ship to get the General to the beach … General Omar Bradley.
Rear Admiral Moon had directed the landings on Utah Beach from Harold’s ship, the USS Bayfield. He was asked to take charge of the invasion of southern France in August. Harold was on board when Admiral Moon committed suicide in one of the staterooms rather than have to put his troops through what he had just seen at Normandy.
By February of the next year, the USS Bayfield was in the Pacific at the battle of Iwo Jima. Iwo Jima! “We were pretty mature at fighting by the time we got to Iwo Jima. They warned us that it would be the roughest battle we’d ever been in, and it was.” On a final thrust when the troops went to the top of Mount Suribachi, the first flag went up. Harold looked around and saw one of his men who had been hit trying to salute that flag. Harold crawled to him and helped him lift his hand. His friend said, “We knew we could do it didn’t we?” before he died there on the hill.
Most of the details I’ve filled in from ten interviews Harold did for the Witness to War project. Their mission is to capture oral histories of combat veterans to preserve them for their families and future generations. You can find all ten of Harold Latham’s interviews here. They are just a few minutes, each so impactful.
Believe it or not, at the end of the war Harold Latham was at Hitler’s bombed out home in Berchtesgaden, Bavaria, Germany. He brought home some rocks and a German rifle he found inside the rubble.
What an honor it has been for us to escort our veterans to Washington DC, six times now. We will do it again but we need to find corporate and/or individual sponsorships. Please help us.
Because there are still so many stories out there.
If you are on Facebook you can find photos and more information at our page Honor Air Atlanta.
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