Veterans from around the state and the country had the experience of a lifetime last Friday.
Old Glory Honor Flight hosted its 81st Mission, a Yellow Ribbon Honor Flight designed to give veterans of the Vietnam War a chance to visit Washington D.C.
The vets boarded American Airlines’ “Flagship Valor”, a plane with Medal of Honor posted on its hull, early Friday morning at EAA AirVenture.
They were welcomed by dozens of people at Regan International Airport, a welcoming that left Air Force Senior Airman Caren Stencel in tears.
“I’m amazed,” she told SeehaferNews.com. “I’ve never experienced anything like this before and it’s very emotional.”
The veterans and their guardians visited the Lincoln Memorial, the Vietnam Memorial Wall, the Smithsonian American History Museum, and the Air Force Memorial while also getting the opportunity to view the changing of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery.
Mission 81 was special in another way, as one of 65 living Medal of Honor recipients joined his brothers and sisters in arms on the flight.
Gary Littrel received the award for his actions in early April of 1970.
Command Sergeant Major Littrel was leading the 23rd Battalion, 2nd Ranger Group when they were bombarded with an intense mortar attack.
One of his men was killed in the attack, and all but Littrel were seriously injured.
Over the four-day attack, Littrell worked to keep his battalion inspired, directed artillery and air support, distributed ammunition, strengthened faltering defenses, cared for the wounded, and shouted encouragement to the Vietnamese in their own language.
While he received a lot of attention all day long, and rightfully so, Littrel says he enjoys spending time with his brothers and sisters in arms as much as he can.
“Anytime I can be with my fellow veterans, especially my Vietnam veterans, it just makes my day,” he said with a smile. “We’re brothers. We were willing to die for each other in Vietnam, and we’d be willing to die for each other now if we had to.”
Littrel was also amazed by the number of people who greeted them in our nation’s capital.
“We did not get our welcome home,” he said bluntly. “For our civilians that met us in the airport for them to look at our Vietnam veterans now and say, welcome home, it’s 50 years too late, but it means a lot.”
The amazement would only get bigger as the flight landed back in Oshkosh to what Old Glory Honor Flight Executive Director Diane McDonald called the largest welcome home they have ever seen.
Hundreds of aviation enthusiasts gathered around the plane as the veterans disembarked, many with tears in their eyes once again.
