An Appleton man who has been on around twelve Old Glory Honor Flight missions says his father is a changed man since his flight to Washington D.C.
Scott Schefe, an Army veteran himself, tells SeehaferNews.com that he started serving as a guardian with the Honor Flight and saw firsthand the impact it has had on the veterans.
His Vietnam War veteran father was a bit disillusioned by his time in the Marines, as he was never truly welcomed home after his time overseas.
“He never really wore anything that proved he was a veteran,” Scott explained. “(Around) the fifth trip I did, I finally convinced him to go with me and be a veteran, and it really changed his life.”
Scott believes a big reason for that change of heart was the fact that his father was surrounded by other people who went through situations similar to what he went through.
“As a veteran…you never really feel welcome in a group of other people,” he noted. “But when you’re with a group of veterans, it just amplifies everything.”
Scott said his father was a bit overwhelmed on the trip, but did his best to just take it all in.
As one may expect, the visit to the massive Vietnam Memorial Wall was a very emotional stop, but so was the welcome home ceremony.
Scott recalled his father “had tears in his eyes when he came back to the Appleton Airport and everybody was clapping for him.”
Then, a few days later, Scott saw the change.
“You could see how much it really affected him,” Scott said. “Now he’s sort of a walking billboard for Old Glory Honor Flight and vets organizations and everybody he sees that he sees as a veteran. He wants to bring it up to them about the importance and how great the welcome home was.”
After seeing its impact firsthand many times, Scott is encouraging everyone to show up for the next Welcome Home Celebration Parade, which will be at the Appleton International Airport on Tuesday, September 2nd, as a part of Old Glory Honor Flight Mission 76.
“People can think it’s just, you know, you’re just waving hi and saying hello and welcoming people back, and they feel good about it. But it really is life-changing to these people that are coming back,” he explained. “Just feeling the welcome and the love for America and veterans. It’s unmatched.”
The plane is anticipated to land at around 9:15 p.m.
For more information on Old Glory Honor Flight and how you can sign up to be a guardian, visit OldGloryHonorFlight.org.
