APPLETON, WI (WTAQ) – After a COVID 19 induced grounding for almost two years, Northeast Wisconsin Old Glory Honor Flight was back in the air Tuesday, taking 99 area veterans to Washington D.C. for a day of visiting the statues, memorials, and monuments built in their honor.
There are many reasons the veterans choose to go….for some it’s a chance to relive old memories, for others a chance to put those memories to rest.
Prayers as the 737 took off from Appleton International Airport, heading east to Washington D.C. Old Glory Honor Flight Director Diane MacDonald is glad to be back in the business of honoring the veterans.
“You know these veterans have been patient, but they’re excited to get going, to see their memorials so we’re going to hang out in D.C. and show them a good time.”
There’s a waiting list of several hundred veterans to go on these days trips. 71 year old Jerry Ott of Chilton is one of them. He’s been waiting five years to get the call. He can tell you pretty accurately how long he served.
“I was in the Navy for four years, 18 days and 10 hours”
Those years went from 1968 to 1972….prime time for the war in Vietnam.
Jerry Ott has a particular job today…. Find the names of fellow crew members from his ship, the USS Newport News, in the Vietnam Memorial Wall.
The Newport News was helping cover the advancement of some troops on the ground when one of ship’s big guns misfired.
“The fuse in the bullet, exploded the bullet before the breach closed. It exploded everything behind it. There were 20 people that manned the gun turret and all of them got killed.”
Now he’s found some of those names and paused to remember them.
Jerry Ott also thinks about the friends he lost when survivors of the Newport News gather for reunions.
“We’re brothers, we’re all brothers, shipmates. I mean that’s as close a bond as you’re ever going to get when you call somemone a shipmate.”
Acting as Jerry’s Guardian on this trip is his son. He wants his son to understand a little better and to learn about things that caused him to be angry when he got out of the service.
“I’ve always had anger issues. Finally the VA started treating the veterans for PTSD. When you see the names on the wall it’s just hard to believe. At least my son learns that this is what happened and it should not happen again.”
Chris Ott believes his Dad has mellowed over the years and gives much of the credit to things like the Old Glory Honor Flight and VFW programs.
“I think that was the beginning of him coming to terms with all of this. Really appreciating it more and being proud of what he did. And I’m proud of him for it.”
As for the Vietnam veterans on this trip, Chris Ott believes we should all have a greater appreciation for their service.
“I hear those stories from Vietnam vets, I hear that sort of perspective from them and these guys deserve a rousing welcome and, by god, I think they’re about to get one.”
A huge crowd was waiting to welcome these heroes in a way many of them never experienced when they came home the first time.
A photo gallery of the return can be found here
The next OLD Glory Honor Flight, and the chance for healing that comes with it, is September 15th.
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