Veterans to see WWII Memorial

By Staff
Jonathan Willis
Meredith Bostick doesn't really like to talk about his days as a paratrooper during World War II.
The 90 year-old Red Bay man still recalls being one of the first American soldiers to parachute from a plane on Normandy Beach. But those memories are not some that he cares to talk about.
On the other hand, 83 year-old Michael Sweda, of Russellville, openly talks about the Battle of the Bulge and the three months he spent in the hospital after being wounded there.
Each soldier who bravely put their lives on the line at one point or another has their own story to tell, whether they say much about it or not.
Several men from Franklin County will have a chance next month to share those stories with people who had some of the same experiences.
Honor Flight of the Tennessee Valley will take the WWII veterans on a one-day all expenses paid trip to Washington D.C. to see the WWII Memorial for the first time.
Honor Flight raises money to take the veterans to the memorial through donations and fundraisers. The men are flown on a chartered plane, taken for a tour of the city and other war memorials and treated to lunch.
"We go to great lengths to make sure they are treated well," said volunteer Faye McWhorter.
Traveling with the 125 veterans will be a medical staff of 12 and a guardian for each soldier.
McWhorter said the flights were developed so as many WWII veterans as possible will have the opportunity to see the memorial, which opened in 2004.
"We are losing WWII veterans at a rate of 1,200 each day," said Honor Flight president Joe Fitzgerald. "This is a patriotic part of our country and we need to do this to honor them all.
"Most WWII veterans will never get to go to the memorial."
Flights are planned for April 19 and May 31, with two more set for the fall.
Several Franklin County men will be making the trip this spring.
"My daughter and son-in-law found out about the trip and I registered," said Ray Rowlett, 80, who was part of the invasion at Iwo Jima and Okinawa in the Pacific campaign.
The trip to see the memorial honoring WWII vets will be especially important to Rowlett.
"One of my friends growing up was one of the first people killed in the war," he said.
Ralph Wingo, of Spruce Pine, was in the Pacific when the U.S. dropped two atomic bombs on Japan ending the war.
"I was dang glad they dropped it," he said. "We were working our way towards Japan."
Wingo has been to Washington several times and has seen the other war memorials but never the one that honors him.
"I am looking forward to it and I appreciate them doing this for us," he said.
Veterans interested in going on one of the fall flights can register at www.honorflight.net.