HIGHFILL -- "Thank You," said a lone sign thrust high above the crowd, relaying the sentiments of everybody.
"Thank you for your service to our nation" was the message that greeted veterans as they disembarked from a plane after a day of remembrances.
Seventy-four military veterans from World War Two, Korea and Vietnam returned to Northwest Arkansas Regional Airport April 20 after a day-long visit to Washington, D.C.
Their mission was to remember those friends and comrades who once fought beside them in defense of freedom, to remember and honor those who made the ultimate sacrifices in the line of duty, to remember and honor those who have recently passed but will always remain in their hearts and minds.
The journey began April 19 with a reception at the Cherokee Casino, one of the event sponsors, in West Siloam Springs. After the reception, the veterans and their guardians retired for the night. Lester Austin, a Korean War veteran from Decatur, remembered that the excitement level was high that night.
"Nobody slept the night before the flight," Austin said. "We were up at around 4 a.m. We had to be at the airport at 5 a.m.
In the midst of a police escort, the three buses left the casino en route to the regional airport, passing through Siloam Springs, Gentry, and Highfill. As the entourage passed through each of these cities, two units from their police units joined the procession.
After passing through security, the veterans boarded a charter flight bound for the nation's capital.
The Honor Flight pulled back from the departure gate at around 7 a.m., ready to taxi to runway 16 at XNA. As the American Airline Boeing 737 taxied down the runway toward the end, it was greeted by two crash units from the XNA Fire Department which were parked at the intersection of taxiways Bravo and Gulf.
Unit 2 was parked on the west side of the intersection, with Unit 3 on the east. As the jet passed, both trucks pumped an arch of water over the jet carrying the honorees, a time-honored tradition of saluting retiring military veterans.
Seven veterans from Decatur, Gentry, Siloam Springs and Bella Vista made the flight. Clarence Amos, Lester Austin and his brother Paul (who now lives in the Kansas City area) from Decatur; Ralph Sullivan from Gentry; Richard Geer and Walter Moorman from Siloam Springs; and William Dieleman from Bella Vista all made the trip.
One person from Decatur who missed the flight was Gayland Van Dyke. Van Dyke passed away one week prior to the flight. His daughter, who was to accompany Van Dyke as his guardian, went on the flight to honor the memory of her father.
While at the Korean War memorial, Austin, his brother Paul, and Amos, who were life-long friends with Van Dyke, posed for a photo along with an important memento.
"His daughter had his cap, so I told her to bring it along," Amos said. "We all three got in front of the memorial and each held onto the hat and took a picture."
Lester Austin also reflected on that moment in time when they stopped to remember their friend.
"The three of us took Van Dyke's hat and held it in front of the monument to honor his memory," Austin said. "That was a touching moment for all of us."
The veterans were treated to mail call just before they departed for Northwest Arkansas. Several Washington, D.C., area schools had their students write to each veteran thanking them for what they did for this country. And in true military fashion, the letters were passed out by calling the last names, just as if they were back in the military again. Then it was time to board the plane for the two-hour return trip.
The plane arrived on time at 9:40 p.m. But a problem with the jetway at XNA delayed the deplaning process about 30 minutes. With music playing by the Decatur High School band and the Northwest Arkansas Men's Choir, the crowd waited patiently for the first veterans to appear.
"We heard it first as we got off of the plane," Austin said. "We thought something else was going on at the same time."
Suddenly, the building erupted into thunderous applause as the first of the 74 honor-flight veterans appeared at the top of the escalator. When the veterans reached the lobby, they were met by the huddled masses, some waving small flags, some cheering and a few, veterans themselves, saluted the weary travelers.
The group boarded buses back to the casino for a night of rest before going their separate ways the next day.
"I'm proud of the turnout we had to greet those who have given so much in service to our country," said Rob Hopkins, one of the event organizers. "I couldn't have imagined a more fitting end to a perfect day, and I thank all those who made this event a big success."
General News on 04/27/2016